The Endings: The Story of the Lost
by tiger7210
Summary: Hyrule has been prosperous for the last twenty years. Peace has made the people forget about the horrors of the past. They ignore the signs of the return of great evil; their rulers unfit to save them. How will they survive the fast-approaching tempest?
1. Preface

**Hey guys! Merry [late] Christmas! Happy [late] Hanukkah! Kwanza! Whatever your little heart celebrates, let's take this moment for me to recognize it:**

Happy [insert holiday here]! WOO!

**As a present, I'm going to give you this preface. FOR THE RECORD: This is only coming out to announce the winner(s) of my contest, and because I want to give you a taste of what's to come... It probably won't make sense. Five internets to whoever can come up with the right theory! **

**Now, please believe me when I say this: This won't be out for a very long while. I…well, I couldn't wait to get SOMETHING out there X) So my weaknesses are your gains.**

**Now, to my new readers: HAI! My name's Alyssa, I'm a very hyper internet writer with absolutely no friends and too much free time. Nice to meet you :) Now, although this is a sequel to BOTH my previous Legend of Zelda stories, I've made it so that you kind of don't have to read either of them…but you might get confused with some of the OCs, since I've added many and they all play parts in the previous novels. So I would just recommend you go read those, and then come back here. Kay? Awesome. **

**Well, without further ado, here's _They Whisper_.**

The family of four relaxed around their fireplace, the smell of wood smoke clinging to their skin and the flickering flames illuminating their faces.

A young boy was sitting on his mother's lap, his wide blue eyes captivated on the shiny pendant suspended from her neck.

His twin—a girl—was resting on her father's knee, her head tucked under his. The smiling, bearded father was telling her a story.

"Illiana, are you listening?" he asked, bending his neck backwards to look at the small, dozing child.

The girl that was Illiana yawned, her tiny face becoming pinched as her mouth grew wide. "Yes," she murmured sleepily. However, in contradiction to her words, her eyes slowly drifted closed again.

"Silly girl," Her father chided, smiling affectionately down at his sleeping daughter.

His wife, Evelyna, put her son gently down on the threadbare rug, taking off her necklace and giving it to him for his amusement.

"She'll be here soon," she said to her husband, tying her mousy brown hair atop her head in a sloppy bun. "I'll start dinner."

"Do you want help?" he asked, starting to stand up, but she waved him off.

"Ah, don't worry. Illiana and Lucian can help me." She said in that special voice she reserved only for the children.

"Children!" She called, but she only caught Illiana's attention. "Why don't you come out to the well with me, to help me get water for supper?"

"Yes plaese!" Illiana exclaimed in her toddler drawl, suddenly wide awake, and jumping to her feet.

"No." Said Lucian absentmindedly, still playing with the shiny necklace.

Their father scooped Illiana up. "That's all right, Lucian. Me and Illy here will go get water for Mama." He said, tapping the tiny girl's nose with his index finger. The tone he used was the one that you talk to children with, to make the job sound extra important.

"Let's go, Daddy!" the girl urged, patting his chest. Her father obliged, and the two exited the warm, cozy air of their home and into the brisk chill of early spring.

The water well was but a short distance from their home, just a few minutes' walk up the path into the center of the small village they resided in.

"Daddy, look! It's gonna rain!" Illiana noticed, pointing up at the sky.

He looked up at the sky, eyeing the bleak, black clouds with distaste. However, he wasn't entirely sure they were _rain _clouds like his daughter had inferred. They were too thick, too dense and _black _to be rain clouds. Perhaps a tornado was on the horizon?

Making a mental note to prepare the family's cellar, he placed Illiana gently on her feet, and picked up the old, rusty bucket from beside the well.

"Would you like to help?" he asked, smiling tenderly down at his excited daughter.

"Yes!" she squeaked eagerly, reaching up on her toes to grab the bucket from her father's grasp.

She tried to place the bucket on the hook above the deep hole, but she simply wasn't big enough to do it…well, without falling in.

Her father lifted her above the black well, allowing her to fasten the handle of the bucket around the old metal hook.

Then, suddenly, a loud BANG registered in his ears, scaring the air from his chest as he nearly dropped his daughter into the depths of the well.

He removed Illiana from the hole before looking around. All was silent. Not even the birds chirped.

"Daddy, what was that?" asked the little girl, breaking the startling silence.

"I don't know," he whispered, picking her up and hugging her to his chest. "But let's go home…."

But before he could even take one step in a homeward direction, the noisemakers revealed themselves.

It was Bobokins. Hundreds of them.

With their imp-like, shriveled faces, they terrorized the village, knocking over pots and ripping down doors and breaking windows.

The screams of the people added to the din of destruction, and his own wife and son flew from their home to see the commotion.

Then, all at once, their target became apparent.

Each and every adversary, in one perfect, fluid, synchronized motion, turned to the bearded man and his daughter by the well.

And then, with another earsplitting BANG, chaotic hell broke loose.

"ILLIANA! RUN!" He screamed, pushing her daughter towards the house, but it was no use. They had them both surrounded.

His wife screamed his name, but it was lost in the sounds of the capture.

They all charged for the pair, and the poor man had no weapon—or anything—to subdue them, nothing at all. The fight was over before it started.

As the man and his daughter was carted off by the swarm of enemies, the villagers gathered to the middle. No one made any move to rescue them, and they were right to do so. To pursue that flock of monsters would be suicide, and they all knew it.

A little boy turned to his pale-faced mother, tugging at the hem of her dress. "Momma, what _was _that?" he asked in awe, unaware that anyone had been lost, simply staring after the parade of monsters, the final Bobokins disappearing through the trees.

She turned to her son, hugging him close to her. Her voice was nothing but a hoarse, shocked whisper.

"It's the beginning."

**You're probably confused. All will be explained later, with the story. But I want to hear your theories anyway. **

**And, here are the winners for my contest! I appreciate everyone that entered, and it was nearly impossible to pick three, but I did! Wahahahahahah….**

**SOOOO.**

**In first place, for her lovely interpretation of an epilogue (which I will be posting, I love it!) let's hear it for…**

**Olivia :D [Insert fanfiction user here?]**

**(She sent it to me by e-mail, I'm not sure if she has an account because she never mentioned it…heheh]**

**Second place, with her equally as lovely drawing, it's…**

**earlyhylianheart[I'm not going to tell you her email…]**

**(Again, not sure if she has an account…)**

**And, finally, in third place, with her adorable picture with a slightly disfigured eye for size, **

**LoveAndZeLink! ;)**

**Das all. Congratulations to the winners, and thanks for everyone who entered. I'll be listing those prizes again, because the winners are probably way too lazy to go ALL the way back to a different story….yeah. So here are the different prizes:**

You guys all get a CAMEO in this STORY! So, yeah, more work for you! Send me a fun description of your character, with name, appearance, personality, race (Zora/Goron/Terminan/Hylian/etc), and EVERYTHING ELSE. And then I'll work you in somewhere ;)

Olivia will be getting every single one of the deleted scenes that I've collected over the months that I've written all my stories, and then second place will be getting a few less, and third place a few less…but they're all adorable. Teehee.

**Oh, and yeah, You'll be getting a tribute on my profile, which I should go…uh, do right now. Yeah, I will! **

**I would suggest you add this to your story alert, or something, because I have no idea when this will be updated. Plah. **

**Until then, Alyssa :)**


	2. Chapter One

**There's one thing I want to get out of the way now: This story's updates will not be as frequent as the others.  
><strong>

**You: D':  
>Me: I CAN EXPLAIN!<strong>

**See, I have much greater expectations for this story, and I feel like I could make this great. But if I fly through updates like I normally do, they won't be as good as if I took a week or two to work on them. I'm not saying every chapter will take as long as a month or as quick as normal, but some might. I want this story to be exceptional, because I really think it could be. Now! With that said, onto the story.  
>I think you'll find you recognize some people :)<strong>

**xoxo, Alyssa  
><strong>

"DAD!"

The snoring man didn't stir from his rest.

"DADDY!"

The sudden banging on the door sent the sleeping king flying from his bed, upright and awake immediately, tensed for attack. However, when he realized it wasn't an assassin or thief sent to kill him and just his daughter that caused the commotion, he let himself relax. Running a hand through his mussed blonde hair, he picked himself up from the floor and went to answer the frantic child outside his door.

The little girl was hopping up and down; her light brown eyes alight with excitement. 

"Daddy, Momma says you're late for breakfast!" she informed him, grabbing his hand.

Her dark brown hair and cinnamon colored eyes were from some long-buried gene in the Royal Family. She was the only one of his children that had such dark traits. It didn't bother her, or anyone else for that matter. It made her just that much more unique.

"Thank you, Maggie." the king told her, reaching down and kissing her forehead. "Tell Momma I'll be down in just a minute, okay?"

The six year old's face darkened adorably with warning. "You'd better hurry." She told him solemnly.

"I will," he promised, turning the little girl around and pushing her gently back the way she came. "I'll see you at breakfast, sweetheart."

"Okay," she agreed, skipping down the white stone corridor, the morning sun bringing out the red in her hair.

Turning back to his bedroom, the king closed the door behind him, a yawn escaping from his mouth. He rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand, ran his fingers through his hair, and went to change out of his nightclothes.

Spring had come early this year, the sun finally coming out from behind the cloud bank and the smells of the fresh blossoms filling the air. The still-sleepy king took a moment to enjoy the pleasant feeling of the warm sun on his skin.

The past week had been a little stressful, to say the least. There were sightings of Bokoblins around the borders of Kakiriko, the Duke and Duchess of old Eldin Province were coming to pay a visit to present their son and his fiancé, and several petitions had come in to raise the Hylian guard's pay, something Hyrule could hardly afford. As the king, he had to deal with these issues. It was his duty.

But this one moment by the window in the sun, this was enough to ease the weary man's worries. In those brief seconds, he felt all his anxiety melt away.

"You've survived worse than this." He muttered to himself, stifling a yawn as he left his bedroom. "Grow up."

The halls of the castle were light and open, the white marble walls reflecting the sun's rays that were pouring from the gigantic windows.

For a while it was silent. There simply weren't enough people in the huge castle to fill every corridor with life. But as he treaded closer to the dining hall, the air became noisy with the happy squeals of children. His children.

The guards on post at the doors stood straight ahead, their shiny silver armor reflecting the royal blue of their Hyrulian insignias. When the king drew near, they gracefully opened the wide mahogany doors open for him.

"Your majesty," one acknowledged, nodding in his direction.

He grinned at the two, walking towards his family.

"Link!" His wife shouted, her voice indignant. She stood up from her seat, her hands crossed over her chest.

Her golden blonde hair was in her usual style, flowing down her back in a braid with tight rings banding the long, uniform bangs that rested on the creamy, alabaster skin of her collarbone. Looking at her husband with distaste, her usually soft, gentle features were marred by the irritated look on her face.

As she approached him, the table slowly grew silent.

"Daddy's in trouble!" someone sung under their breath, leading to an outburst of giggles.

Zelda turned to him, putting one hand on her hip. "We've been waiting for you to start eating, sleepyhead." She teased, pecking him on the cheek. "And you _know _today's a busy day."

"I know, I know. I'm sorry." Link said in defense, holding up his hands, palms out, in a sign of surrender.

In response, she stood up on her toes to kiss him.

Immediately, there were groans and protests and giggles from the seven children observing their parents.

"Enough of that," Link complained. "I'm eating!"

The king raised an eyebrow, eyeing his namesake with humor. "Then shut up and eat." He told him, ducking his head to kiss his wife again.

"Momma!" Little Maggie whined, kicking her legs back and forth underneath her seat. "I'm hungry!"

Zelda rolled her eyes, grinning at her husband. "Come on, we're keeping them,"

He took her hand and led her to her chair, pulling it out like a gentleman before taking his own.

"I'm sorry for making you wait," Link said, smiling sheepishly at the annoyed faces of his children. "Go ahead and eat."

"So I was just discussing the schedule for today with York, and we have a lot on our plates." Zelda prattled, not bothering to touch her food. "We have meetings with the public counsel until ten, then at eleven the Duke should be arriving, so we have a luncheon with him, the orphanage is excepting us at three, and then-"

"Zel," Link interrupted her, his eyes wide.

"Did you just call me 'Zel'?" Zelda asked, her eyes alight with amusement. "That's a new one."

Link rolled his eyes. "You need to slow down. You're getting to be a little overwhelming, and-"

"Oh, please." She said with a smile, reaching to caress her husband's hand. "That's only the beginning."

**xxxx**

_Twenty years before_

It was dusk.

The sky was a collage of dark colors, the sun just setting beneath the clouds, leaving a mesh of blues and purples and blacks behind. The warm evening wind toyed with the Princess's hair, sending her elaborately styled curls into disarray.

She examined the flowers upon the bushes around her with interest, stroking the silky petals with her fingers.

In fact, so absorbed was she in the soft plants that she didn't hear the footsteps behind her.

Link wrapped his arms around her waist, grinning as she jumped violently.

"Hello, princess." He murmured, pressing his lips once to her neck before releasing her.

She turned around and scowled, one hand pressed to her heart. "That wasn't very nice of you. I believe my heart just stopped for a moment, there."

Link's grin grew wider. "Am I _that _handsome?" he asked.

"Don't sell yourself too short." Zelda said sarcastically, rolling her eyes as she sat down on the stone bench by the rosebush.

He sat beside her, his palms sweating nervously. "I have something to ask you," he informed her in a matter-of-fact voice.

"And what would that be?" Zelda asked in an equally detached tone, weaving her fingers through his.

Link turned his head, looking right into her sapphire eyes. Just seeing her quizzical gaze made butterflies fill his stomach. Why was this so hard? He had killed monsters by the hundreds, thousands maybe. He had faced every puzzle and beast Ganondorf set in front of him without so much as a sweat. It was no problem to kill every beast, to face every challenge. Never was something this difficult! Why was the Hero of Time muddled one stupid, beautiful pair of eyes?

He had the sacred triangle! He was supposed to be the _pinnacle _of courage, for crying out loud! Why couldn't he bring himself to say just two words?

Two words that had been said a million times before.

Gathering all his courage and bravado, he took in one, slow, deep breath. And then he said it.

"Marry me,"

It wasn't a question. It was a plea, a demand. Link would leave the princess no room for argument.

She raised her eyebrows in shock, her pale, peach lips slightly agape.

He took advantage of her speechlessness to pull out the simple, wooden box from his pocket. Inside, a modest silver ring was set with a tiny, perfectly round sapphire, nestled into the red velvet.

"I've never asked you this before," he said gently. "Because I always assumed…I just assumed that your answer would always be yes. And then I thought to myself, with everything that's happened in the last few months, and with Ronan and the baby…" He began to trail off, unsure of himself. But he continued anyway. "Well, I just thought, maybe you wouldn't want to be my wife anymore."

They sat in silence for an agonizing minute. It seemed like hours, days, weeks, to Link. He dropped his gaze, his ears turning pink, thinking his hypothesis correct.

"Link, look at me," Zelda commanded suddenly, her voice breaking the dreadful silence.

He grudgingly lifted his head to look into her eyes, the rejection pushing at his shoulders, making them slump.

"Link." Zelda repeated. How could his name just sound so _good _on her lips? She took his face in between her hands, lowering it to her level. And then with a solemn face, she quietly said, "My answer will always be yes."

And then his lips were on hers. Nothing else in the world mattered, nothing but the person right in front of him now. She had said yes. She had said yes to him!

"So, you really mean it? You want to get married?" Link asked, his voice ecstatic.

Zelda's face cracked into a breathtaking, glorious smile, pulling back from his embrace. "You have no idea how long I've been waiting for you to ask me."

**So yeah, that flashback was sort of random. Get used to it. Since there's such a huge gap between this story and the last two, I'll be filling in some holes and providing flashbacks. Sometimes, they'll have something to do with the current storyline, sometimes they won't. Heheheh. So, anyway, this was a longer chapter than normal. Start expecting that. Now that I'm doing less frequent updates, I'll be able to give you longer chapters. Hooray! **

**Now, ONWARD TO MAIL! It's time to play Skyward Sword.  
>(And also watching my friend Cassie fail at playing Twilight Princess. She's more of the person that watches you and screams "KILL IT!", but I'm teaching her well)<strong>

**Alright, see you guys next time!**

**xoxo, Alyssa**


	3. Chapter Two

**I couldn't put this off any longer.  
>I'm sorry it took so long. However, two of my very close friends are in critical condition right now, so I've been sort of focusing on them. But when you're in a waiting room, you have much free time, so I decided to crank out this. Please excuse any grammaticalspelling errors, it's late and I wanted to get this out, but I'm too tired to edit. **

**xoxo, Alyssa**

**PS: I'm sure you won't remember all the kid's names, so here they are in age order:**

**-Aurelia [It's pronounced Uh-rell-ee-uh]**  
><strong>-Link<strong>

**-Guinevere**

**-Marceline**

**-Ophelia**

**-Magdolyn (Maggie)**

**-Zelda Arianna (Arianna/ Ari)**

"JACE!" Aurelia yelled, running frantically after the laughing guard, hiking up her skirts so she wouldn't trip.

"Oh, come _on _princess, you can run faster than that!" Jace shouted, his chainmail clanking as he sprinted on the stone path.

"Give it _back!_" She demanded, panting as she chased him.

The burly man threw his arm up, dangling the necklace tauntingly above her head. "Just try and take it!"

Since he was a good foot taller than the poor girl, she didn't have a prayer of reaching it, and they both knew it. Aurelia crossed her arms over her chest, panting heavily as she glared at him.

"That was from Henry! If you ruin it, I'll have you publically beheaded!" she threatened, reaching up on her toes to try to reach the sapphire pendant.

"Oh, _please_." Jace said, rolling his eyes as he lowered the necklace within her grasp. "If I broke this, he could just buy you a new one with his rich parent's money. Is that what you want in a guy, El? Money? I have mon-"

"Shut up, Jace." Aurelia interrupted, snatching up the necklace in her hands and refastening it on her neck. She was annoyed with his advances. They were friends…best friends, and that was all.

"It's only a matter of time before your mommy and daddy send you off to get married." He taunted, grinning wickedly. "You are _twenty _after all, that's pretty old."

"Well, you're twenty-one, even older, and I don't think twenty-one year olds should be stealing necklaces and then playing chase." She retorted, crossing her arms.

"Got me there," Jace admitted, his face twisting into a grin.

His long black hair was plastered to his face and neck with sweat, his face flushed from the run, but somehow, Aurella remarked, he could still look devastatingly handsome.

She quickly shook her head to clear the treacherous thoughts, then looked up into his dark green eyes.

"We've both got to clean up before this party my parents are throwing. Are you on duty?" she asked, brushing the wet bits of grass off her skirts.

"Yes. But I've gotten strict orders that I'm not allowed to talk to you. My captain says it distracts me too much." He replied, his eyes glinting with humor.

This made Aurelia crack a small smile. "He's got a point," she pointed out, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear. "But I _really _have to go. I'll see you there."

"Goodbye, Princess," He leaned down to kiss her cheek, and then he quickly turned to walk away.

Her face flushed scarlet, the blood flowing into her cheeks. Shaking her head again, she hurried back up to her bedroom.

The two oldest princesses shared the same bedroom they had grown up in. Both had very fond memories sitting under the great window, hiding in the little cupboard hidden in their closet, sleeping fondly underneath the frescoed ceiling.

Even despite the five year age difference, the pair grew up attached to the hip. The two had done everything together, and even looked something alike. However, as they grew older, the girls had been more possessive of their personal space.

"Gwin!" Aurelia shouted indignantly, rushing forward to snatch the piece of fabric out of her sister's hands. "That's mine!"

"But I need something to wear to the party!" Guinevere whined, crossing her arms over her chest. "You already have your outfit."

"I don't care. This is _mine_. Mine! You should have asked!"

"It didn't used to-" Guinevere started to argue, but she was cut off by a knock at the door.

"May I come in?" someone asked, a hint of impatience in his voice.

"Just a moment!" Aurelia called, rushing to open the door.

The grinning face of a red haired man stood in the threshold of the door, leaning casually against the frame.

"Hello, Rel." He said, his voice a smooth, deep velvet.

A smile pulled over the eldest Princess's face. "Henry!" She exclaimed, barreling into the unexpecting man. He stumbled a few steps backwards, staggering underneath her weight.

"What are you doing here?" She breathed in excitement, resting her cheek on his shoulder.

"My family and I were invited to the luncheon your parents are throwing." Henry

explained.

He transformed his voice into the stuffy Eldin accent that all the high-society people had just happened to acquire over the last few months. Aurelia could hardly stop the shifting of her eyes to the ceiling. She couldn't fathom how sounding like your nose was plugged made you _sophisticated._

"But, anyway," he continued in his normal voice. "I wasn't about to wait another two hours to see you. It's been months. How are you, sweetheart?"

Henry was the brother of the king of Windfall. When his father passed away several years ago, his eldest brother took the kingdom. And since he was the youngest, Henry was entitled no land. But he _was _still a prince, and his brother Aaron, the new king, was gracious enough to give his poor brother Lordship and an estate to run.

Henry hated the job. He was tied down—no, _chained_ down—to his kingdom, being told who to see and where to go. And what did it matter that he was twenty-two years old? He was still treated like a child with no say in anything. Yes, his advisor sure made sure of that. It was only on occasions like these that he was able to see Aurella. There was no free time for the Lord with no power.

"Very well, thank you." Aurelia replied, a breathless grin on her face. "And you?"

"Positively chipper," He said sarcastically. Releasing the princess from his embrace, he looked around the bedroom, a slight frown forming on his face.

"Would you mind if I spoke with your sister privately?" He asked, looking pointedly at Guinevere.

The younger girl rolled her eyes, standing up from her bed and stretching her stiff legs. "I need to get ready for the party. Hurry it up." She commanded, sliding past the two in the doorway and disappearing down the hall.

Henry pulled Aurelia gently into the room, closing the door firm behind them. Then, taking a deep breath to steady himself, he gathered his courage and faced the girl standing behind him.

"Well, there's two ways I can do this. Would you like me to give you the back story so I can build up to the moment, or would you like me to be blunt?"

Aurelia's eyebrows rose, her face stiffening with shock. "Is this good or bad?" She asked carefully, eyeing his face.

Henry's jaw clenched slightly, she noted, and then began to process what this could mean. Was he lying to her? Was he afraid?

Shifting his gaze to the dark wooden floor, the tips of his ears turned as red as his hair as he replied.

"I don't know."

The princess lifted her fingers to her mouth, gnawing on her thumbnail nervously. It was an atrocious habit, yes, but she could never seem to break it. He was keeping something from her, and she was allowed to be nervous, so therefore she would be allowed to bite her nails down to nubs until the anxiety ceased.

"Okay. Tell me first, explain later." She commanded around her hand.

Henry sucked in another breath, exhaling in a sigh. "Well, uh, I really don't know how to put this," He paused, looking up into Aurelia's eyes and removing her hand from her face.

As the silence continued, Aurelia began to brace herself for the words that would surely have to follow. Nothing _that _bad could have happened in the three months since they'd last seen each other, right? Nothing awful could have happened…

"Aurelia, do you love me?" He asked suddenly.

His question startled the princess. He wanted to know if she loved him. Did she? Surely she did. After all, he came to see her, and gave her lovely gifts, and they spent hours upon hours talking and laughing… it was what every princess ever dreamed of, right?

But never had she felt the butterflies in her stomach, the euphoric blush never touched her cheeks, nor had the happy, flirty giggles ever left her mouth. That was what love was like, right? That was the way all the townsgirls acted around her brother. They were in love with him, right? No. They just had crushes on the handsome prince.

But her brother Link had his girl, the one _he _loved. He had told everyone who tried to pursue their advances exactly who he loved. She had never told Jace how much she cared for Henry, so did that mean she didn't love him? She had always assumed that it was, well, implied…

And her father bought his mother the loveliest of things, and they spent all their time together, and _they _were in love!

So she _had _to love Henry. Or did she not…?

It frustrated her that she had no answers to her questions. But if she didn't have answers to her questions, how could she answer Henry's?

And she couldn't sound foolish! She was twenty years old, she couldn't sound like a naïve little child when it came to talk about love. She really did care for Henry, but love? She wasn't sure. But she had to be.

"Yes," She lied. It sounded pitiful, so she quickly added "I love you."

It was the first time she had ever uttered the words to someone besides her family. And it wasn't even the full truth.

Henry's green eyes sparkled, alight with euphoria, but his grim expression didn't change one bit.

"I-that's great. But, I-" He paused again, at loss for words. "I love you, too. I've loved you, for…well, since the moment I met you."

Aurelia was stunned again at his words. Did he truly mean what he was saying? He had just said that he had loved her! So she _must _love him!

"And…I want you to marry me."

**xxxx**

Link was pretty damn lucky.

He had everything that he could ever want or imagine; two courageous, wise, magnificent parents, his six sisters, a home and a kingdom, and best of all, the beautiful smiling face, right in front of him now, that he loved with all his being.

Kenley.

She was the light of his life, the reason for his existence, his everything, for he believed he had not truly lived until the first time he saw her smile.

His sisters called his devotion to this girl unhealthy. Guinevere had advised him to back off a bit, since no girl wants to be choked with the love and compassion that the boy had to give. But his father told him different.

"Don't listen to a word they say." He told him, solemnly looking at his son. "If you don't give that girl you love your absolute, entire being, everything you have to offer, then she deserves better."

Of course, Link lived off every word his father said. This statement was no exception.

He gave Kenley everything: his trust, his fears, his support, and most importantly: his heart, and she did just the same.

Her father, a strong and diligent man who had spent his childhood working in the fields to earn his menacing muscles, thought their relationship was wrong as well, with Link being two years older. His wife, Malon, had disagreed, and allowed their relationship to continue. She knew what it was like to be in Kenley's shoes, for the senior Link was a few years older than her.

Most important was the couple's opinion, and neither Kenley nor Link minded whatsoever.

Today the pair was together at the ranch, Link trotting around on his handsome, majestic and princely steed, and Kenley on her gentle chestnut mare. The horses strode close enough together that the two could hold hands, the light, creamy alabaster against the weathered tan.

Although the two were comfortable in silence, she tried to initiate a conversation anyway.

"So," she began, and then she paused, strapped for ideas. Conversations weren't her forte.

"So," Link prompted, looking over to smile at her pondering face.

"So," she repeated, laughter in her tone.

She grinned at him, lavishing in the perfect azure of his eyes.

"So, _what?_" he asked, exasperated, gently shoving her arm.

She quickly recovered her balance, and scowled, not quite being able to quash her giggles.

"What was _that _for?" she demanded, shoving him back in turn.

Not expecting her retaliation, he fell—quite literally—from his high horse, tumbling to the ground.

The bewildered expression on his face sent Kenley into a fit of laughter. Clutching her stomach, she clumsily dismounted her beast as she went to his aid.

"Smooth," was all she could gasp out.

Link scowled, standing up and brushing the dirt from the back of his tunic.

"This is my Dad's! He'll kill me if I get it dirty!"

The Hero's son had opted to wear his father's old garb. The soft, weathered green clothes had just simply been too nostalgic for the king to wear, so he had given everything to his namesake, everything down to the very last glove and hat.

Link treasured these items. It was if his father was giving him a piece of his adventure to take with him.

So he certainly wouldn't stand for his precious tunic to be tarnished by _dirt_!

"That wasn't nice!" He scolded her, crossing his arms over his chest.

"Yeah, well, you pushed me first. It wasn't my fault you fell off." She retorted, copying his stance.

"Touché." Link said, rolling his eyes as he ripped the sock cap off his head, shaking out his hair. "Now, how do I look?"

"Like a prince with a nasty tunic in need of a hairbrush and a good wash behind the ears." Kenley replied without skipping a beat, a grin crossing her face.

"Perfect." Link proclaimed, lifting the unsuspecting girl up onto his horse. "It's nearly time, we have to get back to the castle."

"Why?" she asked, scooting backwards on the saddle, giving the prince some room.

"We're going to a party."

**So, I know I prattled on a little bit in that scene with Aurella and Henry. She sounds like a naïve little sheltered pansy, because that's exactly what she is. And I kind of wanted to express that. So sorry if you got a little bored.**

**Yeah, this was a pretty long chapter. Ten or so pages in Microsoft Word, where I usually do four to six per chapter. Again, I'm sorry it took a while. To elaborate further, one of my close friends has a chronic illness at one of the last stages, and the other was in a horrific car accident a few days ago. I'd appreciate you adding them to your prayers, and I _really_appreciate you guys being considerate and being patient. It's awesome to have understanding fans.**

Until next time, my lovelies.

Alyssa :)


	4. An Invaluable Friend

**On January 18, 2012, about eleven at night, my dearest friend Lyra went into cardiac arrest. Because of other crucial injuries to her ribs, her lungs, and other vital organs from a car accident that happened about a week earlier, they couldn't use the paddles, they couldn't do anything. She passed away at 11:10 PM. She was fifteen years old. **

**I had been friends with her for years. We've known each other since we were four years old, and have done almost everything together up until a few years ago when I moved away. She was a beautiful, compassionate, gentle person and a loyal and irreplaceable friend. She loved to draw, and she was always so modest about the amazing talent she possessed. For my birthday one year, she drew me a Zelda collage. It was so beautiful that I started to cry the first time I saw it. She could make amazing things out of anything.**

**The time I spent with her was invaluably precious. I realize now I always took her for granted. Now, what I wouldn't give to see her smile, to hug her one last time. Or even just the opportunity to say goodbye. **

**Rest in Peace, and may you never be forgotten.**


	5. Chapter Three

**Hello, everyone.**

_I'm sorry for the delay in the chapter and the uncalled for last update. You must have been annoyed with me. I'm annoyed with me._

**These first few chapters have been pretty slow. I know. But it WILL get better. I'm chomping at the bit to get into the major plotline, but, you know, there's always the gosh-darn foreshadowing and leading into it like a good little author. There are so many new characters, and you must be properly befriended with them before we continue ;)**

**All that aside, thanks for being loyal supporters. You guys are the best, and I appreciate all the well wishes. **

**xoxo, Alyssa**

The queen was sitting at her dressing table, pinning her frizzy bangs away from her elaborately styled curls. No matter what she did, however, the stupid strands of hair would come free of their bonds and come snarling back down to the front of her face.

She blew the hopeless pieces of hair away from her face with a huff, only to have them fall back down right on the sides of her nose.

"For the love of the Goddesses!" she moaned, slumping back into the plush, velvet-covered armchair.

But then she heard the quiet chuckles coming from behind her. Snapping up from her chair, she whirled around, her hand clutching at her heart.

"Farore, Nayru, and Din, Link! You scared me to death!" she gasped when she saw her laughing husband, her face turning a light pink. "Do _not _sneak up on me again that way!"

"Well, _excuse _me, your highness!" Link said, rolling his eyes. "I didn't know it was a capital offense to come into my own bedroom." He strode over to stand behind her, gently placing his hands on her shoulders.

"I hope you've come to get ready." Zelda retorted, twisting a strand of hair up and securing it with another piece. "Because frankly, Link, you look a mess. Take a bath, brush your hair, and tuck in your shirt."

He grimaced for her benefit, running his fingers through his hair again to muss it. "I most certainly am not!" he said in an insulted voice. "And besides, I'm the king. I can do what I want!"

"Well, _I'm _the queen." She replied, "And since as your wife I have an infinite amount of power over you, I'm telling you to get presentable."

He slid his hand down her shoulder, curving his fingers to the length of her arm. "I think I've handled myself pretty well for the last twenty years."

Zelda rolled her eyes, turning around to playfully glare at him. "Did you _need_ something?"

"Yes, actually, I do." Link said matter-of-factly, the tips of his grin falling at the reminder of the subject. "I'm worried."

Slightly worried at her husband's reaction, she turned around to face him. "Is something wrong?"

He let his breath leave him in a huff, crossing his arms over his chest.

"There have been more Bulblin and Bokoblin sightings. Closer to New Kakiriko this time."

"Well, we can't be sure-" Zelda began, but Link cut her off, not finished with his information.

"Not to mention down in that new settlement by the Kokiri Woods, Ordon, was raided a week ago."

The queen's eyebrows rose. "Any casualties?"

"Two. Not confirmed deaths, but they were taken. One man and a child."

Zelda bit her lip, playing with her hands in her lap. "Goddesses. What would those monsters want with Hylians?"

Link nodded once, his face devoid of any emotion. "That's what has me worried. I've never heard of them kidnapping anything. I've dispatched two groups of soldiers to patrol the borders and keep a lookout, but so far there hasn't been anything of importance."

"Well, then, it's taken care of, and we cannot do anything but wait and observe." She took up the task of styling her hair again. "You need to get ready for the party. I won't have you being the laughing stock of the kingdom."

"Party, schmarty." muttered Link, rolling his eyes. "No one cares about how I dress."

It was all Zelda could do not to burst out laughing. "It's been twenty years, and you still don't know a thing about politics, do you?"

Link's lips pulled into a smug smile, his eyes closing cheerfully. "Nope." He said, popping his lips together.

The queen rolled her eyes. "Just take a bath. You have an hour."

"Your wish," he began, quickly removing his belt and gauntlets. Then, in one swift movement, he pulled his tunic from his body, flinging it across the room. "Is my command."

Half naked, he bowed to the laughing queen before marching into the bathroom, swinging his arms and stomping like a soldier heading for the front lines.

_Well,_ thought Zelda, _at least he's taken care of. _

Now, if only these goddess damned bangs would just stay put…

**xxxx**

The castle courtyard was filled with gentry of many different sizes and colors. The bulky women squeezed into their vibrant dresses, costumed as peacocks and swans, and the gentlemen wore their poufy tights and tunics of whimsical patterns and designs.

Link pulled at the collar of his burgandy tunic that his mother had forced him into, scratching the irritated skin underneath with a grimace on his face. It was too _hot _to wear such constricting, itchy fabric!

Goddesses, he would _never _understand the mindset of these aristocratic people.

The sooner he could get rid of these damnable clothes, the better. His thought process quickly shifted. Where would be a place he could just strip them off?

He quickly strode into one of the overhanging outdoor hallways, sliding adeptly behind one of the giant tapestries hanging from it. However, to his surprise, his hiding place was already occupied.

He bung into the poor person, his head ricocheting off their body and into the hard stone wall.

"What the hell?" He protested, picking himself up from the ground and looking up at the person beside him.

"Shut _up, _will you?" hissed Aurelia, glaring at him. "You want them all to find us?

"What are you-" Link began, but his question was cut off. Aurella slammed her hand into his face, covering his mouth and quite effectively cutting off the sound coming from it.

"Be quiet!" she whispered harshly, then removed her constricting hand. "Now, listen. I need your help. Come with me."

Before Link could so much as say a word of protest, Aurella had grabbed him by the hand, dragging him out from behind the drapery and into a random room.

The princess whirled around to face her brother, pushing him against the wall.

"I don't know what I'm going to do!" she whispered frantically, her eyes as wide as saucers. "What will mother and father think, Link? I mean, how _disgraceful_ is it to-"

"Stop!" The prince demanded, grabbing Aurelia's arm. She stopped her prattling at once, staring at him with terrified eyes. "Take a deep breath," he commanded, and released his grip. She obeyed the order robotically, her chest expanding and then releasing.

Satisfied, Link continued. "Now, would you _please _tell me what's going on?"

"Henry asked for me to marry him!" Aurella gushed, the words leaving her mouth in a frenzy. "What do I tell him? What will I tell _Father_? He'll kill Henry, I swear he will, and it's not his fault, if anything, it's _mine_, and I-"

"AURELIA!" Link shouted, making both of them flinch at the sudden noise. "You need to calm down." He said in a much quieter voice. "First of all, it's great that Henry asked you to marry him. Congratulations. But why are you so upset? You're an adult, you can do what you want."

"Most adults aren't a Princess of Hyrule, Link." She said, biting on her thumbnail nervously. "You know, duty and all that? I can't just announce that I'm engaged! What if Mother and Father are furious that I didn't consult with them first? What if they _kill _him?"

Link stared darkly at his sister. "There's only one way to find out."

**xxxx**

_Eighteen Years before_

"Momma?"

The Princess looked to her daughter, smiling down at the timid face at her feet.

"Yes, Aurelia?" she asked, absentmindedly, continuing to work on her sewing.

"What are you doing?" the small girl questioned, pulling at the hem of the gown her mother wore.

The adoring grin on the Princess's face widened. "I'm fixing Daddy's tunic."

The toddler's face fell as she heard the response. "Oh." She said. Then, a second later, her face lit up again. "Momma?" she asked again, looking back up to the towering figure of her mother.

Zelda stifled a giggle as she looked back down to her daughter. "Yes?"

"Why aren't you the queen?"

"Because I'm a princess, just like you." replied Zelda, leaning down to touch the tip of her index finger to the girl's nose.

"Why?" persisted Aurelia, standing up and climbing onto her mother's lap, crushing the stiff fabric of the green tunic residing there.

"Because I'm not married yet." She said simply, pulling the garb of clothing out from under the girl and positioning it so that she could still reach it with her needle and thread.

"Oh." Said Aurelia lamely, folding her hands together and resting them on her lap. A few moments later, she looked back to her mother. "Why not?"

Zelda briefly considered her response. "Because, Grandpa doesn't want me to be." She said. She wouldn't lie to her daughter, but politics wasn't exactly something a three year old could comprehend.

"Why?"

Zelda flinched at the expected question. "Because…" she said slowly, pondering what she could possibly tell the girl without lying. "Because he doesn't think that Daddy is special."

A disgruntled look crossed the small girl's face as she crossed her arms. "Well, _I _think that Daddy's special."

A slight grin crossed Zelda's face. "I do, too."

**xxxx**

Aurelia strode to the center of the courtyard, so close to her brother that their arms were nearly linked. An awful, guilty look was on her face, and it only kept growing the closer they got to their parents.

"Haven't you ever heard of a poker face?" Link hissed, elbowing her in the ribs.

She took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a fraction of a second as she attempted to compose herself. "Go find Kenley, Link. I'll handle this by myself."

"Weren't _you _the one that enlisted my help?"

"Just go." She demanded, shoving him roughly away.

Link rolled his eyes. "Whatever you say. Here's hoping you don't get flayed."

He disappeared into the crowd of people before Aurelia could retort back.

Sucking in another breath and steeling her courage, she slowly treaded over to the thick of the crowd, a group of people surrounding three individuals. However, when she saw who exactly those people were, she stopped in her tracks.

There was the Queen, looking as debonair and regal as usual, a content grin on her face as she mingled with her guests. And beside her, the King, looking a bit uncomfortable—as usual—as he attempted to make small talk with the stuffy sophisticated men he had nothing in common with. It was the last person, the one next to her parents that made Aurelia do a double take.

What in the name of the Goddesses was Henry doing with her Father?

When she was within eyesight of trio, they almost immediately took notice to her. Her mother's eyes went to her left hand, where she saw the shimmering silver band on her finger. A beaming smile lit up her face as she clapped her hands together. The queen ran over to embrace Aurelia, whispering joyful congratulations in her ear.

Henry followed suit, a guilty look crossing his face as he went to lift a hand to his fiancé's shoulder.

Her father, however, made no move to approach her. He crossed his arms over his chest, giving the poor princess the _look_. That we'll-talk-later-and-oh-_Goddesses_-you're-going-to-have-it-handed-to-you look.

He definitely wasn't happy.

**There's lot's o cuts in this chapter. Sorry about that. I had a lot to cover to keep on track. As always, keep checking back and please review. See you guys next time :)**


	6. Chapter Four

**You guys wanna hear how stupid I am?**

**Yeah. Well, I'm going to tell you anyway.**

**Unconsciously, while I was prewriting away in my computer class, I was thinking about Sheikah. I mean, you can't get anymore badass then Sheikah, right? And then, a character was formed. From this character with her Link-ish sarcastic wit and crazy ninja Sheikah skills, a story was born.**

**A story that I'm not obsessing over when I should be obsessing over this.**

**_-_ I'm an idiot. Welp, on the bright side, now I know what I can do after this is over, right? I promise that I won't work on it _too _much. This will be my first priority! I swear!**

**Ahaha. But aside from that, nothing new happening. Have fun reading ;)**

**xoxo, Alyssa**

"I can't believe you missed."

"I did _not _miss!"

"Did so."

"Did not!"

"Fire again."

"_Dad_!"

"You heard me. Fire again."

The prince rolled his eyes, crossing his arms stubbornly, his bow abandoned on the ground in front of him. "I didn't miss. It hit the target. I'm done for today."

The elder Link scoffed, mockingly taking up the same position as his son. "You call _that _a shot? Arianna could have done better than that."

"I'm going inside. I have plans with Kenley." He protested, gesturing with his hand to the looming castle above them. He started towards it, grinning widely at the prospect of being with her.

"Oh _no _you don't!" Link said, grabbing the boy by the collar of his shirt. His son stumbled, crashing to the ground when he released him. "If you're going to give up with archery, we're moving on to swordsmanship." Pausing for a moment, the king looked around the training grounds.

"Hey, Quinton, Aberdeen!" He called to the guards on duty. "Mind teaching my son how it's done?"

The indicated men grinned at the prospect of flaying the prince, eagerly jogging towards the field.

Link looked up at his father in shock. "You expect me to take on all three of you at once? There's no way I'll win!"

Although he knew he didn't have a chance, his complaint was mostly directed towards the fact that he hated fighting. Link didn't care much for swordsmanship. What was the use, anyway? If he was faced with an emergency, what would the odds be that he had a sword or bow to defend himself with?

The King looked to his son, a disapproving frown set into his face. "Find your strength, Link. One day you may have to face worse."

As if to emphasize his words, the Master Sword in his hands shimmered, its blue flames engulfing the silver of the blade.

The prince eyed his own sword with skepticism, comparing it to the mystic qualities of his father's.

"At least let me use your sword. It's got to be so much more powerful than mine. It's _magic_. With that thing, I'll always win!"

Link stared at the boy next to him, pondering his words carefully before speaking. "Magic it may be, son." He said slowly. "But a sword wields no strength unless the hand who holds it wields courage. If you feel unprepared to fight us with your sword, you will feel just as ill prepared with mine."

He turned to the solemn faces of his comrades. "Sorry, boys. Maybe next time. Link here still needs a bit more experience."

"As you wish, your highness." said Aberdeen, bowing deeply before returning to his post with his partner.

With that, he turned to face his son again. "Now, why don't you start to work on the dummies again?"

"_Dad!_" Link whined, his shoulders slumping. There was nothing more boring than whacking a flour sack with an overturned bucket for a head for hours on end. Link wanted nothing to do with the melee that was the only place where his father truly knew who he was.

"I'll do it with you." encouraged his father, picking up the Master Sword and hacking at the closest dummy. It sliced through the burlap like butter, the grainy flour spilling out onto the battlefield.

"Kenley has something for me, and Aurella said that-"

At the mention of his eldest daughter's name, the King stiffened. Narrowing his eyes, he glared at the ground, an odd sort of fury flowing through his body.

Link picked up on this quickly, eyeing his father with curiosity. "Are you okay?"

"Fine." The King spat, throwing himself at the training dummy with more viciousness than before. No mercy was given as the wooden splinters of the decapitated head flew every which way.

"So, you're telling me that you have no issues with _Aurella_," Link tested, watching his father involuntarily flinch at the mention of her name. "Ha! I knew it! You're mad at her!" he accused, laughing at the prospect.

His father's eyes narrowed. "I'm not mad at her." He argued. "I mean, if she's just going to decide to get married, it shouldn't matter if I'm mad at her or not." He muttered under his breath, kicking at the loose dirt around his feet.

"Aw, Dad, is that really what's bugging you?" Link asked, frowning slightly. "Want me to talk to her?"

Swinging his sword at another dummy, the king began to pulverize the wooden stake the flour sack was attached to, emphasizing each word with a blow.

"If. She. Wants. To. Get. Married. Then. She. Can. Get. Married." He grunted, throwing himself into his attacks. And then, in a fit of temper, he threw his sword. It sliced through the air, embedding itself in the trunk of a nearby tree.

Grumbling underneath his breath again, he ran to retrieve it, flushing at the realization of his tantrum.

"I think we're done for today." Link said smugly, quickly retreating into the castle.

**xxxx**

_Sixteen years before_

"Momma, I'm not tired."

Zelda hugged her young son close, pulling the blankets of her bed more tightly over him affectionately.

"It's time for bed anyway." She said gently, caressing a lock of his golden blond curls away from his face.

"But _Momma_, I'm not tired!" The two year old protested, crossing his arms stubbornly over his chest.

"Neither am I!" piped up Aurelia, sitting up from the plush pillows, mimicking her brother's stance of defiance.

The Queen giggled quietly as she eyed her two little delinquents, taking a moment to lay back on the comforts of her bed.

"If I tell you a story, will you go to sleep?"

Although the young prince looked eager, Aurelia looked quizzically at her mother, considering her options.

"Maybe," she allowed in her squeaky little voice. The solemnity of it made Zelda burst into laughter.

A disgruntled look crossed the young girl's face as she watched her mother. "I'm not funny." she informed her.

"Well, why don't we get to the story, then." Zelda said, and her children snuggled up against her sides, their wide blue eyes fixated on her own.

"Hundreds of years ago, when the first Hylians began to settle back on the Earth after the first Great War, the Goddess Hylia watched over them. She helped them survive and blessed them with fruitful gifts to help them thrive into an independent society.

After a long while, she began to tire of the life among mortals. But she could not possibly leave her beloved children alone to face the perils of the world! So, to rule in her stead, she pulled two of her most trusted daughters from the mortal race and blessed them with the power of immortality.

From the hot, raging deserts, she drew forth the proud warrior Din of the Geru tribe, naming her the guardian of Eldin Province, telling her to rule with the power of her spirit.

From the cool, beautiful waters of Lake Floria, she chose the gorgeous princess Nayru of the Zorali kingdom, presenting her the larger kingdom of Lanayru Province, telling her to rule with the wisdom of a monarch.

Although these two women were capable, Hylia knew that the most power was drew in threes, so she searched for another woman worthy of the divine power.

There, in the quiet forest of Faron Woods, did she finally find the small girl among the fairies and sprites and other beasts. Although the Wolfos and Moblins were twice her size, she did not flinch at the sight of them, instead caressing their bulbous faces and matted, ruined coats.

And the Goddess Hylia had found her third deity. She drew forth the young girl, Farore, from this forest, giving her rule over the Faron Province, instructing her to show the world her unfailing, honest courage.

And so, with her three new immortal children, she took the purity of their souls and molded them into the most sacred of shapes: the triangle. With this power of the innocence of life, any mortal or immortal could have any one wish of their desire.

However, if one with impure intentions tried to take this sacred power for selfish desires, the Triforce would split again into three; each soul finding a host to reside in, and only one piece would end with the impure. Only reuniting the three pieces together again would make it fully work to its potential.

"But here's the catch…."

Zelda waited to build suspense, expecting the two children to be bouncing off the walls in anticipation to find exactly what this catch was.

However, when she looked to her sides, she saw that both of them were curled up to her chest, fast asleep.

Smiling slightly to herself, she untangled them from her body, blew out the solitary candle, and made her way to the door.

"I'll just have to tell you some other time." she whispered, the door creaking behind her.

**xxxx**

He was covered with gore.

Blood, sweat, and tears matted his hair around his face and blurred his vision. His skin was caked with the stuff from head to toe, his wounds oozing puss and blood and several other fluids he had no name for.

What had he possibly done to deserve this?

The cackling of the evil man reverberated in his ears as the bastard landed another blow. His head was jerked violently to the side as the green hand collided with his cheek, a loud smack being produced from the impact.

His breathing as ragged now as he clutched his stinging cheek.

"I've already told you!" he croaked, looking desperately at his torturer, his eyes begging for the awful man to believe him. "I don't know where it is!"

Despite his pleas, another ring-adorned fist was sent slamming into his jaw. The sickening crunch was drowned out by the man's scream of pain as he recoiled from his captor, sprawling out onto the floor in a frantic attempt to escape.

"And _I've _already told _you_." The green man sneered, kicking the collapsed man with disgust. "I know you know where it is. Now, I haven't got all day. Let's save both of our time."

"Please, I don't know! Just let me go!" cried the man, curling up into a pitiful ball on the cold, gore-spattered floor.

Why was he here? What had possessed the vile man to capture him, take him away from his ten years of peace and happiness? And his daughter! Where was his beautiful, perfect daughter? Was he hurting her?

"Ah, if only it were that easy." simpered the evil man, unsheathing his blade. The metallic shing echoed ominously in the dungeon. "It's going to be a long night."

And then he approached him again, the curved silver scimitar smiling in anticipation.

**Lots of seemingly random jumps in this chapter.  
>(Wahaha. They're only random to you. It's all interconnected. It'll all make sense later)<br>**

**But anyway, I was re-reading Changers.**

**And my brain was sent into hemorrhaging mode. I'm absolutely disgusted with myself! Compared the work I've been doing now, it's completely mediocre. I suppose with the extra experience, I've grown to be a better author. But seriously, after re-reading that, I feel like such a child.**

**So add re-write Changes to my list of stuff to do. Urgh.**

**See you guys next time, and as always, please review!  
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	7. Chapter Five

**Sorry for the random name flops in the last few days. I've been very indecisive as of late.  
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**In other news, I spent all day yesterday re-reading/writing Through Different Eyes. And might I say, I felt a lot better than I did when I was re-reading Changes. So that's done, I added/removed a few things, so if you want to check that out, go ahead. I'll let you know when I start to change Changes. Because I will. Because I hate it.**

**Also, I will try to get out new chapters of this story either every Monday, or every other Monday. The only reason why I'm doing this is because frankly, I do better under pressure and scheduling in a hectic time makes things less hectic.**

**Bahaha. Hope you enjoy the chapter!**

**xoxo, Alyssa**

"Nora!"

The small brunette groaned at the sound of the nagging voice, quickly repositioning herself on her cushions to make her seem as delicate and frail as possible.

The demanding knock on her door made her roll her eyes. "Come in, Daddy." She allowed, making her voice seem timid and weak. She ended her statement with a few light coughs, her eyes glinting mischievously as the door flew open.

****Her father eyed the sickly girl with disbelief. His skeptical expression was magnified by the large spectacles that rested on the bridge of his nose. Making an annoyed sound in the back of his throat, he crossed his arms and entered the room.

"You can drop the helpless act." He muttered, frowning at the giggling girl in front of him. "I'm going into town. Why don't we pretend like you _won't _sneak out, in the process breaking twenty more of your bones?"

"Daddy, please, just this once-" Nora begged, sitting up and giving her father her most desperate look, but he would not be swayed.

"Soft-boned girls should not be flitting about!" he cut her off, his voice sharp. "Your condition is not something to mess around with. I'm keeping you here for your own safety and health, dearest."

"I can't live my entire life in this room, Daddy." complained the girl, crossing her arms gently. "I'm nearly fifteen. I can't stay in here forever! I will _not_ grow old and become a spinster!"

A slight look of pain crossed the withered old man's face as he looked at his pleading daughter. "Nora," he said reluctantly. "Your condition…" 

Oh, her _condition_. It always came back to that. It controlled her life, every action and every possibility. She would never be able to do the things that everyone else did.

Her bones weren't as strong as everyone else's. A sharp impact could snap one in half, a fall could shatter them. Even when she played on the ivories too vehemently, she risked fracturing the slim ones in her dainty fingers.

Irony would have it that her soul thirsted for adventure. She wanted to be able to run and play with the other children of the castle, she wanted to be able to spend time with other girls, she wanted to go to school. But her _condition _could not allow anything that she wanted to do.

Not that she let it stop her.

As much as her father tried to rein her in, her spirit was too audacious to be tamed. Every time he left to tend to his Royal Apothecary duties, she snuck out. She ran and played with the other children. She had befriended one of the princesses. And when she limped home with a shattered bone or two, it was all worth it. No matter how short the time, she was at least able to pretend she was normal. That was good enough for her. But not for her father.

"I have to go into town." He repeated, a conflicted look on his face. "If I come back and you have something broken, I won't be giving you any potion. Maybe it'll teach you a lesson, you foolish girl."

"Yes, Daddy." Nora placated, sitting up from the bed to give him a gentle squeeze. "Have a good trip."

"I'll be back by nightfall." He said, his voice still concerned as she pushed him through the threshold of their quarters.

"I love you." She said, grinning, as she started to close the door.

"Be safe!" he called out, trying to reach behind the door to reach the girl, but she wasn't having that.

"I will," she appeased in a sing-song voice, slamming the barrier between the two as she skipped back to her bedroom.

It was adventure time. 

**xxxx**

"Open this door!"

"No!"

"Aurella Nayru, so help me, you'd better let me in _right now_, or I swear to the Goddesses I'll-"

"Go _AWAY_."

The king and his daughter had been bantering like such for over an hour, their sanity being saved by the wooden barrier in between them.

Both yelling themselves hoarse, both not willing to give the other an inch, they were getting nowhere. But neither was ready to cease the argument.

"Young lady, I will break down this door if you don't let me in!"

"Leave me ALONE!"

Link opened his mouth to retaliate, pressing his foot to the door as he prepared to knock it off its hinges like he had promised, but a gentle voice stopped him before he could perform the act.

"I think it would be best if you gave her some space." Murmured Zelda, wrapping a slender arm around the furious man's waist. "She's not a Moblin, Link, you can't go charging into her bedroom, brandishing a sword and decapitating her. That isn't the best way to solve this problem." 

Link scowled, crossing his arms and leaning tiredly against the stone wall. "It's better than avoiding the subject!" he spat bitterly at the ground.

"Listen to yourself. You'll never be able to keep your temper around her if you're like this with me."

His face softened slightly, but his eyes remained their aggravated glare, staring at the door. "She's my little girl. I-it's too hard…I can't even _fathom_ that she's going off and getting married. Zelda, did you even know she was seeing anyone? I was taken so off guard, I couldn't think, and I just wanted to get _mad_. I'm not even sure who I'm upset at anymore." He said gruffly.

"Oh, Link." Zelda whispered, leaning her head on his chest. "She'll always be your daughter. But our daughter is all grown up. She's not the little girl that you want her to be anymore."

"I don't want to let go yet."

She smiled sadly, caressing his shoulder reassuringly. "I don't either, love. But this is for the best. She's found someone she'll be happy with. Isn't that what we've both always wanted for her?"

"Yes," Link admitted grudgingly, sighing lightly as he untangled himself from his wife, taking her hand and leading her down the hallway, away from the bedroom door.

"Aurelia will finally have her happy ending."

**xxxx**

_Twenty Years Earlier_

Link sat in his bedroom at the castle, staring outside into the dark summer evening. The crickets and cicadas chirped, their song adding to the din of the still-busy Castle Town.

The lights of the city spilled into the night, their golden glow making the silhouette a merry, welcoming sight. The Hero stared longingly into the distance, his eyes glassy and his mind wandering.

The shrill banging at his door made him jump. Standing reluctantly, he turned away from his happy view and slowly tread over to answer the door.

"Your highness!" the page panted, his form shaking eagerly, his eyes filled with excitement and panic. "Th-the p-princess!"

"What about the Princess?" Link demanded, shaking the man harshly on the shoulders, automatic panic filling him.

Shocked by the sudden contact, the page froze. "She's gone into labor!" he sputtered out, squirming out of the intimidating man's grip.

"That's not possible! She's all the way in Kakiriko!"

"I c-came on foot all the way from there, sir!" the page panted, leaning on his knees for support. "Th-the midwife was being called as I left!"

Link swore, kicking the wall with fury. "I've got to go, or else I'll never make it!"

Sprinting past the man, he flew through the halls of the castle, a steady stream of profanities spewing from his mouth as he darted into the stables.

He threw himself on Epona, digging his heels into the horse's flank, urging her forward. "We have to _fly_, girl!" he ordered. With an indignant whinny, Epona tossed her head, throwing herself from the stall in a full gallop.

The pair raced through Castle Town, parting the crowd of civilians abruptly but effectively as they dodged and twisted the stalls and merchants. Through the night they rode, tearing through the eerily dark Hyrule field. All was silent, stead for the steady and sure pounding of Epona's hooves.

They approached the tall stairs of Kakiriko village in less than two hours, both man and beast panting from the exertion of the ride.

The king abandoned his horse, swiftly patting her affectionately on her nose before tearing hell-for-leather up the steps.

It occurred to him once that he hadn't the slightest clue where Zelda was staying, or where in this Goddess Forsaken huge village she could possibly be. He ignored this logical thought, thrusting it into the back of his mind as he tore mindlessly through the crowds of people.

Finally, his eyes caught a familiar face, and he was snapped out of his reverie. It was none other than York, the old and withering Royal Advisor, who had accompanied Zelda on her expedition.

"York!" He called, attempting to grab his attention, sprinting towards the old man.

The advisor looked up at the sound of his name, and realization struck his face when he saw that it was the King.

"Where's Zelda?" Link demanded, a slightly wild look in his eye.

"Oh, your majesty." York said, slightly out of breath. "The Princess is currently at stay in the-er-_Sheikah_ Caverns. I myself was not allowed to entreat entrance, but if you were to find a way in, I'm sure they would allow-"

The king did not allow his advisor to finish. He took off towards the graveyard, leaving him behind with a slightly bemused look on his face.

Pulling the familiar marble gravestone of the Royal family tomb, he agilely slid into the hole, dropping lithely onto his feet.

The Sheikah Caverns ran underneath Kakiriko, a network of interconnecting tunnels that allowed the race to live harmoniously in secret: the way they liked it. Hardly anyone knew about the supposedly extinct race, but Link had been there often enough during his adventures that he knew almost every nook and cranny. Zelda, having been trained here for seven years, was also very familiar with the place, but since she wasn't here, of course she wasn't of any help.

He skidded around a corner, only to hear the screaming wails of a baby.

A baby?

Stopping in his tracks, he turned around, slowly walking backwards to the door in which the sound had been emitted, a dumbfounded look on his face.

Sure enough, another cry came from the room. Definitely a baby. But was it his? Warmth spread through his body as he pictured the thing: a son to carry on his legacy, strong and brave and proud. A son that he could raise up to be a hero.

The midwife opened the door before he could, her brow covered in sweat and her apron dressed in blood. She beamed as she saw the awestruck king.

"Yer Highness. Congratulations are in order. I'm 'appy for ya, I am."

A bewildered smile lit up Link's face as he processed her words. "Am I allowed in?"

"Of course, yer Highness." Complied the woman, opening the door again, revealing the cause of the crying.

The squalling thing was wrapped tightly in a soft pink swaddling cloth, its tiny little hands reaching up from the bundle, grasping and un-grasping its hands into fists.

"A girl?" Link assumed quietly, slowly walking over to the bedside. His heart sank slightly, disappointment filling him. A girl. Not the heroic son of his imagination.

Zelda gasped, looking up at the sound of his voice. "Oh, you're here!" she said, relief saturating her voice.

He stood at the bedside, his eyes glued to the newborn in Zelda's arms.

She was a tiny thing, barely the size of a loaf of bread. Long blonde locks of hair framed her minuscule head. Then, abruptly, her wide blue eyes focused on Link.

And he immediately fell in love.

This was his daughter. Half Zelda, perfect and lovely. Yes, he could see it in her angelic face, and the familiar color of her eyes, that was definitely his wife. And half himself. At first, he couldn't put his finger on it, but he could see it now. The spirit in her eyes, the strength in her little pudgy hands. The baby had taken after his fight.

But the moment was bittersweet. With a pang in his chest, he realized that his daughter's azure gaze wasn't the same as Zelda's sapphire. No, they weren't Zelda's eyes.

They were Ronan's.

There was no mistaking the hue, they would be forever embedded into Link's brain along with the man's last moments. He would always remember those eyes.

Thrusting the highly unpleasant thoughts from his mind, he stepped closer to his family, a breathtaking smile on his face.

"I'm sorry I'm late, baby." Link crooned, reaching down to kiss the pink satin skin of its forehead.

Zelda smirked slightly, looking to her husband. "I'm glad you made it at all. I was getting worried." 

"Better late than never." He muttered, a blush crossing his face.

"What are we going to name her?" she murmured, letting the curious infant wrap its tiny fist around her index finger.

After several moments of consideration, a wide smile crossed his face as he lifted a strand of the baby's golden hair.

"Let's name her after the Golden Goddess." He declared, beaming proudly down at the bundle in his wife's arms.

"Which one?" Zelda asked, an identical adoring smile on her face, as the awestruck blue of the baby's eyes met Link's once again.

"Aurelia."

**So, how do you guys like our new character, Nora? She's quite the handful, and I must say, I'm becoming attached to her like I am to Ronan. She's a very nice young girl, if I do say so myself. **

**Continuing my thought process from the beginning author's note, I'm remaking Changes. It'll still have the same storyline, but the beginning is different, and I'll be adding or taking away a few things. I'll let you know when I actually get around to uploading it :)**


	8. Chapter Six

**I've updated the first chapter of Changes. If it has the :U: symbol next to it, it means that I'm happy with it. So go check it out, review if you like it. Hope you enjoy dis chapter. :)**

**Xoxo, Alyssa**

_Eleven Years Before_

"Zelda? Come quick!"

Alarmed by the apprehension in her husband's voice, the Queen quickly ran into the nursery, where Link had been dispatched to tell the two youngest princesses a bedtime story.

As Zelda walked through the threshold of the door, she was abruptly stopped in her tracks. Her eyes grew as wide as saucers as she saw the giggling three year old Marceline…hovering in midair.

"Can you _please _explain to me what's going on," Link asked desperately, pulling himself on a chair to try to pull down his floating child. "Because I-"

"She's a mage." Zelda said quietly, interrupting her husband. A wide smile spread across her face as she stared at the little girl. "She's a mage!" She exclaimed, her volume rising as she ran to Link, pulling him off the stool and wrapping him in her arms. "Do you know what this means? She got the bloodline!"

"The bloodline?" he asked stupidly, still gazing in awe at his daughter.

"Yes, yes. You know, the Royal Family's magical bloodline, tracing back to the Chosen Maiden Zelda I." Zelda muttered impatiently. "I figured the gene had been diluted out, considering it's been twelve generations. Even _I _don't have the gene, my powers are strictly related to being a sage…" she trailed off, lost in her thoughts.

"Our daughter's a witch?" The king asked, catching the girl as she floated happily down from the ceiling, a look of happiness and excitement on her face.

"Not a witch. A _mage._" Zelda corrected. "She's been blessed by Nayru!"

A pleased look crossed his face as little Marceline snuggled her head into his collarbone, easily slipping into slumber.

"A mage." He repeated, a satisfied tone in his voice. "Could come in handy."

His wife rolled her eyes, taking the sleeping girl from him and placing her gently back into her bassinette. "My baby is _not_ a tool."

"_Our _baby is most _certainly_ not a tool, but having a mage in the family could well be useful." Link corrected, a grin on his face as he eyed his other daughter. A short chuckle escaped his lips. "I can't believe Guin slept through all that." 

At his words, a gentle snore came from the girl's mouth, causing her parents to explode into a fit of laughter.

"She's _your _daughter. Once she's asleep, she's out like a light. An earthquake couldn't wake that thing up." Zelda said, an adoring smile playing on her lips. "It's actually kind of cute."

"What can I say?" Link asked, slipping his hand through hers as they quietly tiptoed out of the nursery. "I'm a keeper." 

**xxxx**

Her eyes were filled with concentration, sweat dripping down her brow as she fixated all the power that she possessed at the wooden block in front of her.

She'd been doing this for the last twenty minutes, to no avail. The stupid thing just simply wouldn't levitate.

"This isn't working!" she snarled with annoyance, kicking the ground with frustration.

Her mother sat daintily on the ground beside her, grinning slightly at her show of immaturity. "Marceline, you _must _keep trying." She urged. "You can do this!"

Marceline grimaced, wiping the back of her hand across her forehead. "I can't do it anymore." She sighed, her eyes closing and her shoulders sinking in defeat. "All the power's just been used up."

Zelda rolled her eyes. "Magic can't just be 'used up'" she said condescendingly, lifting her fingers to put quotes over her words. "You're born with it, and you have it forever. If anything, it'll become more powerful as you age."

"Then why isn't it working?" the princess pressed, crossing her arms stubbornly. "I could do it before, but now, I can't even lift the stupid crate!"

A quizzical look crossed the Queen's face as she contemplating the question. "Well, perhaps it's from lack of practice. It could also be the fact you've never had proper training. After all, I'm not exactly a mage, dear." 

For a few minutes they sat, pondering possibilities for Marceline's ailment, until Zelda broke the silence. "Have I ever told you the story of the Hero of Time?"

A small smile crossed the princess's face. "Dad used to. The one with the boy without the fairy?"

Zelda nodded hesitantly, discreetly folding her left hand underneath her skirts. "What else do you remember?"

She closed her eyes in concentration, imagining sitting in her soft little bed with Guinevere, Link, and Aurelia, engrossed in the tales her father told her. "I remember the Triforce. What I wouldn't give to have a piece of _that_. I'll bet if I had the Triforce, my magic would work."

"The Triforce is gone. It was destroyed a long time ago." Zelda snapped, surprising herself at her sharpness. "There's no way you can get it."

Marceline's eyes grew slightly as she observed her mother's face. "Oh," she said quietly, slumping back on the grass. "Can I be done for today?"

"Have a good afternoon, Marceline."

She pulled herself up, walking under the overhang, away from the glistening of the hot sun. "Goodbye, Mother."

She skipped into the castle, her long blonde braid bouncing on her back as she trailed down the weathered grey stones to the library.

The castle library was a tall but confined space, with shelves housing books from floor to ceiling. The smell of fresh parchment and ink and old leather lingered in the air, intermingling into a very pleasant scent that Marceline adored. Dusty desks and cushy armchairs were scattered throughout the room, but several resided in their permanent place by the always-lit fireplace.

Marceline loved the place. She loved getting lost within the labyrinth of shelves, surrounded by volume after volume, containing anything she could possibly imagine. She loved curling up in the giant chair by the fire, feeling the soft leather of binding in her hands as she devoured page after page.

Today, however, she had a purpose.

Climbing the ornate stairs to the second level, she strode over to the area she most frequently visited: Hylian Legends.

This was the section with the oldest books, written in both old Hylian and new. The tales were like those her Father used to tell her as a child, ridden with adventure, mystery, and happy endings.

She pulled a newer book from the shelf, the green leather of the cover molding to her hand. The title glistened in gold ink: _Hyrule, a History: The New Generation_. This volume contained events that had happened from the Sky Era right up until about five years ago.

Turning to the carefully labeled index, she trailed her finger down the page until she found what she was looking for. 

_CDXIV. The Hero of Time, page 414  
>CDXL. The association with the Triforce, page 440<em>

Quickly flipping to the indicated page, she sat down by the fireplace, engrossing herself in the tale of the Hero.

However, about four pages in, she gaped at the familiar name staring back at her.

_Princess Zelda Aurora Johanestine Hyrule_

Her mother? What did her mother have to do with the Legend of the Hero?

Nothing. She had nothing to do with it. This tale had taken place hundreds of years ago. There was no way her mother could have possibly played a part. Perhaps it was a distant ancestor that her mother was named for. After all, one a generation a princess was named Zelda. There were hundreds of them in her family tree.

She chuckled once at her panicked foolishness, turning the page again.

Eagerly, she absorbed the novel. It only took her about an hour to read the short tale. This was only a refresher, really. She wanted to learn more about this Triforce.

As her eyes finally skimmed the gold-encrusted _The End, _she turned the page, anticipation clawing in her stomach. 

She would finally be able to find out what the Triforce had to do with the Hero of Time, why her parents always avoided the world like an explicative.

But instead of finding the heading page with the expected words, her eyes fell upon a portrait of her family.

Where was the Legend of the Triforce? 

It had clearly said this where it would be found in the index. Why wasn't it here?

She trailed her finger down the binding, feeling the calloused edges of tattered paper. Someone had ripped the pages out. After the legend, the history became the present, the section on the current royal family was introduced with the picture.

It was painted before Arianna was born, about six or seven years ago. There was little Maggie, swaddled in the crook of her father's arm, with the toddler Ophelia clinging at his leg, shyly leaning out from behind it with her silvery blonde hair hiding her face. Aurelia sat next to Guinevere, almost identical gentle smiles on their faces. Link was standing beside herself, his hand placed on her shoulder, a smirk on his face. Her own familiar blue eyes peaked from behind her long bangs, her cheeks flushed, her right hand clutching a book.

Her mother sat in the center of the portrait, her arms supporting Maggie from underneath, her father's arm wrapped around her shoulders. Her left hand rested on her lap, ungloved. This surprised Marceline. She couldn't recall the last time she had seen her mother's bare hand. She had always worn gloves, no matter what.

What was even more peculiar was the golden smudge the artist had placed on the center of her hand, very noticeable against the alabaster of her skin.

Had he misplaced the paintbrush, meaning to color in the gold fabric of her dress but instead panting her hand?

Yes, that was probably it. It was just simply a mistake.

Thoroughly disappointed at the wasted time, she placed the book back on the shelf and left the library.

**xxxx**

It was dark.

Choking, infinite darkness. The kind that was so dense that you couldn't even see your own hand in front of your face, the kind where the sounds echoed a thousand times in your ears.

He felt the desperation, even after all this time. With every drip of the water falling from the ceiling, his fear rose in his throat, threatening to choke him.

He was never afraid of the dark per se, but the solitude it brought was maddening. The only companions he had were the rats scurrying over his festering flesh, squeaking as they spilled his blood.

Although painful guests, they were welcome. There was something soothing about the sound of them scratching of their tiny claws against the stone floor as they walked. He fell asleep to the sound of them, woke up to the sound of them, and it kept him sane, knowing he wasn't alone.

__But at the same time, he was alone. There was no one to talk to, no one to confide in. This wasn't like the adventure novels at all. Where was the loose panel in the wall to let him get to freedom? Where was the crusty old man with the three foot long beard to show him the way to escape?

Right. Not here. Because his life wasn't a novel. It was real and it was happening right now. He wasn't stuck in a dungeon for courting the untouchable princess, for being framed for some outrageous crime. He was stuck in this dungeon because the evil man had just decided to pick up and take him and Illiana.

But why? 

The question bounced around his head. Why? Why was he doing this to him? Why did he think he knew about the trice-damned thing he was looking for?

He promised that he wouldn't be let go until the thing he wanted was in his grasp. He promised his daughter would be sent home without a scratch. 

He wanted her to be safe more than anything. He would do anything. But he couldn't tell the evil man what he wanted! He didn't know!

Suddenly the darkness became a tempest. The aching quiet and solitude pounded in his ears, ringing in the deepest pits of his mind..

Curling in on himself, he wrapped his arms around his freezing legs, resting his head on his knees.

The silence cut him deeper than any blade ever could.

**As always, please review :3  
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	9. Chapter Seven

**It's disappointing me that only a select few dependable people are reviewing. I know more than those two are reading my stories, after all, I'm getting about a hundred or two visitors every time I post a new chapter. **

**It really sucks that I'm bursting at the seams to post something for you guys, then when I do, I only get one or two reviews. It takes five seconds to tell me "Good job" or "I'm really enjoying this" or even, "I didn't like this chapter very much" All I want is feedback. It'll take less than a minute out of your day. It's not asking all that much. **

**xoxo, Alyssa**

_Twenty Years Before_

"I can't believe you're wearing a blue dress to the wedding."

Zelda shot her fiancé a look. "It's supposed to be symbolic. You know, Nayru's sacred color and all that?"

Link rolled his eyes. "That's ridiculous. Why can't you wear white, just like every other bride in Hyrule?"

"Well, why can't _you _wear black, just like everyone other _groom _in Hyrule?"

He glared at her. "It's _supposed _to be _symbolic_. You know, since I saved the world and all that. My tunic has been through everything with me, and everything down to the hat will be getting married with me."

"It's ridiculous!"

"You're ridiculous!"

They had been bickering like this since the moment they left the local dress shop in Castle Town, having been fitted for the first time in their respecting outfits. Link had not been able to see her gown, of course, but he knew enough about it to complain.

If he had it his way, they wouldn't involve anyone in this wedding. It would just be him and Zelda, alone, and he could wear his tunic and she could wear whatever the hell she wanted, not these tight, ten thousand rupee dresses she always pranced around in.

And then they would ride Epona off into the sunset, happily ever after,and the The Ends would ensue and then the credits would roll, just like in the pictobox films.

But _no._ It had to be some big three-day event, thousands of people invited, where they were expected to be on their best behavior at all times. Then, following this wedding, the coronation would be held, And then he would be King.

Link _hated _to be the center of attention. But he hated responsibility more.

"Duel me." He demanded, grabbing her hand and pulling her towards the courtyard outside the barracks. Those three hours in the stuffy shop was very tedious, he needed to blow off some steam.

Unsheathing the sword from his black, he picked up a silver rapier from the rack and tossed it to her, sauntering to the center of the crudely drawn arena and turning to face her.

"As you are well aware, I am _far _superior to your shameful swordsmanship skills, Princess." Link said, grinning like a fool as he brandished the Master Sword tauntingly.

"I believe I'll be able to hold my own." Zelda replied, her lips set in a calculating grimace as she circled her opponent, looking for a chink in his defenses.

"You won't beat me. You're too girly, too afraid you'll break a nail. Let's just face it, Zelda. You haven't got anything on all _this_." he taunted, striking a provocative pose as his grin widened. "You may as well give up now."

"I'll make you a bet." She straightened out of her offensive pose, leaving her sword limp at her side. "Whoever hits the other person first is the best swordsperson. If I win, you can't wear that goddess-_awful _tunic to the wedding."

He lifted his eyebrows in mock-offense, lifting a hand to his heart. "I'm hurt. But fine. If I win, then I get to pick your wedding dress."

"It's on." She bit her lip, taking a step forward and reaching her hand out to shake on it.

A mischievous smile crept up on Link's face as he eyed her. "Yup. And rule one, never let your guard down!"

Before she had a chance to respond, he swung his blade at her, a deadly silver blur that she barely dodged in time.

Raising her own sword to block his next hit as she ducked under the first, she began to question her judgment. "That's cheating! I wasn't ready!" she cried, her eyebrow furrowing with annoyance.

"Or you're just trying to weasel out of the bet." He grinned, stabbing again towards her abdomen.

"Cheater!"

"Weaseler!"

"Tell me, Link, do you _like _breathing?" Zelda questioned, raising an eyebrow as she lunged for his leg, sending him jumping to the side and doing an odd sort of pirouette to avoid her following attack.

Despite his embarrassing dodge, he parried her next blow with ease, shooting the girl a cocky grin. "It's a pass-time."

Grunting in frustration, she spun around, aiming her rapier for his head.

The clang of the two swords meeting resounded in the air as he effortlessly brought his blade up to block it.

"You'll have to try harder than-" he began to say, another smug smile on his face, before the blade of her sword hit the side of his armor, leaving the gash that signified the end of the duel.

He stumbled to the side, giving an over exaggerated moan before falling flat on his back. Raising a hand and using the other to clutch at his heart, he closed his eyes. "I've been hit!" he cried, his breath leaving him in a dramatic gasp.

"I didn't hit you in the chest, moron." Zelda rolled her eyes, putting her hands on her hips as she dropped her blade.

He cracked open one eye, shooting her an annoyed glare. "Shut up. I'm trying to be dramatic. Now, where was I?"

"I've been hit!" Zelda mimicked, making her voice comically low in an absurd rendition of his voice as she clutched her chest and stumbled, a grin coming to her face.

"Ah, that's right. I've been hit! Zelda, the love of my life, the mother of my child, how could you do this to me?"

"The last time I checked, we agreed to spar." She said, crossing her arms.

"And that last time _I _checked, I told you to shut up. I'm not done yet."

She smiled, rolling her eyes again as she shifted her weight. "Carry on, then."

"Oh, my love, I cannot believe you betrayed me! I shall die, now, with a broken heart!" he cried in his most despair filled voice, his lips twitching. "Oh, goodbye, cruel, _cruel _world!"

He gasped then, letting his arm sink to the ground beside him.

Zelda giggled, grabbing his leg and pulling him on his back towards the gates.

"Come on. It's time to go back to the seamstress."

**xxxx**

Castle Town was busy in the late days of summer with people preparing for the long winter ahead of them.

The commonfolk scurried from shop to stall, stocking up on furs and preserves, stopping occasionally to chat with an old friend or relative.

The castle guards, their silver armor gleaming in the afternoon sun, stood post in front of the dress shop, closing it off completely from the busy town, with their halberds ready to impale anyone who dared approach the people inside it.

The Princess was there today with her mother and three sisters, most of the gossiping women told their friends as they passed by, winking flirtatiously at the dashing knights that stood post. What they didn't know—what only a collective few outside the Royal family knew—was that she was purchasing a dress for her wedding.

Mountains of white dresses lounged over every available space, yards and yards of silk and satin and velvet in every design and shape you could imagine.

Aurelia stood in the middle of the shop on a high stool, her golden curls hanging limply down her back, shimmering against the white fabric that clothed her. She was staring in distaste at the figure in the full length mirror in front of her, her mouth twisted in indecision.

"The waistline is too low," she said finally. "I look like a box."

"She's right." stated Guinevere, no nonsense in her voice. "It doesn't flatter her figure at all."

"You look pretty." whispered Ophelia in contradiction, playing with her hands in her lap. "I like it."

The Queen, who was sitting with her youngest daughter on her lap in the corner, shook her head, frowning slightly at Aurelia's accusation. "I think it looks lovely," she agreed, turning to younger Zelda. "Isn't that right, Zellie?"

At the request of her opinion, the youngest princess grinned, showing her pearly white baby teeth. "She looks silly!" She said in her singsong toddler garble, closing her eyes cheerfully as she clapped her hands.

"That settles it, then." Guinevere said quickly, pulling the ribbon from the tight bodice. "Next one, Rel."

Aurelia quickly changed, stepping out of the gown and sliding the next. And the next. And the next.

The girl was able to find a flaw in every gown she was put in: it was too tight, not the right shade of white, the neckline was wrong. No dress could satisfy all of the expectations of the perfect one in her dreams.

The seamstress dutifully lifted her in and out of every rejected gown, tightly tying the stays and shifting the matching jewelry into place.

"Who wears velvet anymore, anyway? It's for chair lining, not wedding dresses." grumbled Aurelia, shimmying down the skirt and kicking it off. "Next one?"

She looked around expectantly, but the pile of hopefuls that rested on Guinevere's armchair was gone.

"That's it?" she asked, her face falling. "There's no more?"

Zelda frowned. "I'm afraid not, dear."

She bit her lip, tears threatening to spill over. "Oh, that's okay." She said unconvincingly, picking the discarded dress off the podium. "I love velvet."

Guinevere snorted, snatching the skirt from her sister and throwing it with the rest of the rejected ones. "If you haven't found the dress that you think you look beautiful in, then we'll keep looking."

"She's right, Aurelia. There are always other places we can go." said Zelda, standing up with her namesake clinging to her hip. She turned to the saleswoman, handing her a leather pouch filled with rupees. "Thank you for your time, madam."

The woman grinned, slipping the pouch into the pocket of her apron. "Thank _you_, your majesty." She said with a curtsy, swiftly turning on her heel and taking her leave.

They left the shop in a single line, the queen and the baby at the lead with Guinevere at her heels. Ophelia treaded behind them, pulling the hand of the crestfallen Aurelia, tugging at her to get her to keep moving.

"You could wear any dress." said Ophelia quietly as they climbed the steps into the carriage, rubbing her arm reassuringly. "You're _always _beautiful."

Aurelia smiled down at her sister, patting her cheek as she ducked underneath the carriage.

Ophelia sat by her mother, admiring the diamond ring that glistened on her finger.

She had always loved pretty things.

The glittery jewels and shiny tiaras that her mother wore had always captured her interest, the shimmering silks and glossy satins that clothed her had always made her stare in awe.

When she was younger, her mother would take her into her gigantic closet, doing her up into something amazing. She would put the curling cloths in her hair, painting her face up with rouge and lipstick, and then allowing her to pick out one of the gorgeous dresses from her collection. It would always be too large for her slight frame, but when she looked into the mirror, she saw an image of pure perfection. And then to top it all off, her mother would take her own crown of her head, placing it on her daughters.

It would sink down on her forehead, falling to just above her eyes, and the girl would smile, showing her perfect little milky teeth, giggling with delight.

"You're beautiful." Her mother would say, pecking her on the cheek lightly. "Prettier than I am. And don't tell your sisters, but I think you're the prettiest Princess of all."

These words would always fill her heart with joy as she looked at her tiny image in the mirror. She was _beautiful. _She was the prettiest Princess.

But she grew older, and her escapades to the closet came less and less as Magdolyn and Arianna took her place. She didn't feel beautiful anymore. She wasn't the prettiest princess anymore.

But even at ten years old, before she had reached her peak, she truly was beautiful. Her hair was thin and silvery blonde, falling to her hips and hiding her face. Her complexion was flawless, perfectly alabaster from lack of the sun. Her thick bangs hid the round sapphire saucers that were her eyes.

Her eyes gave her the most pride. Everyone said she had her mother's eyes.

Her mother was beautiful.

Aurelia was beautiful, too. There was something different about Aurelia that none of her sisters seemed to have: exoticness. With her golden hair, bright blue eyes, and gorgeous face, she had a fairness that her younger sisters could never compare with.

And now she was getting married. Aurelia would have her fairy tale ending with her dashing Prince Henry, and they would live happily ever after.

If only it could always work out that way.

**xxxx**

**So I have something important to say, and I'm posting this on every single one of my fanfiction chapters this week, so sorry if this is a little repetitive.**

**I'm sure by now many of you have heard of Joseph Kony, but if you haven't, this is basically the deal:**

**Joseph Kony, a native African, goes into African villages and kidnaps the children there, forcing the girls into becoming sex slaves and the boys to serve in his child army. Yes, boys as young as three years old are handed a gun an expected to kill or be killed. They are forced to kill their own parents, their grandparents, even a brother or sister. Over 30,000 children in the Uganda area are being forced into this army.**

**America has been ignoring this issue for years. This has been going on since 2003. So a man started an organization called Invisible Children this year to get the American government to send in troops to help the situation and end Joseph Kony, whether by death or taken into custody. Eventually, they dispatched a hundred men and women, and the response has been great.**

**However, the American citizens are funding their exploits. The only reason the government is helping them (considering this doesn't threaten our country's security) is because we the citizens have demanded it. If we cease our efforts, the children of Uganda and other regions of Africa will suffer.**

**So like before, when I offered the prizes, I'll do it again. Send me a screenshot of your confirmation donation page to my email (on my profile) and you will get the following things:**

**-Deleted scenes from both Changes and Different**

**-Drawn pictures of any two characters of your choice (from any of my stories)**  
><strong>-Another sneak peek at a piece of The Endings.<strong>

**To learn more and hopefully donate, go to: invisiblechildren**  
><strong>(Add the www and the com, I just can't put it since fanfiction will count it as spam)<strong>

**I really hope you guys consider donating. This is a cause close to my heart (as I went to Uganda last December, met some of these children, and helped to build houses for them) and I want to do everything in my power to help them.**

**xoxo, Alyssa **


	10. Chapter Eight

**I'm still struggling with that awful writers block with the Hunger Games. But I will persevere! I will get the next chapter out! ….sometime…**

**xoxo, Alyssa**

_Fourteen Years Before_

His tear-streaked daughter stumbled into the study, clutching her bleeding arm to her chest. "Daddy!" she whimpered, walking over to his desk. "It hurts."

Link set aside his work, gently lifting her arm to where could properly examine it. "What happened, Relly?" he asked sympathetically, grabbing the handkerchief off his desk and softly wiping the blood away from the scrape on her elbow.

"Link pushed me down." the six year old sobbed, using her good arm to wipe the tears away from her blotchy eyes.

Using the hankie as a makeshift bandage, he tied it around the scraped area, quickly bending down to kiss the fabric. "All better?" he asked tenderly, reaching his arms out.

"Yes." she sniffled, crawling onto his lap and wrapping her arms around his neck. He held Aurelia close, resting his head on top of hers, rubbing her back soothingly. The girl cried her eyes dry into her father's shoulder, still a bit shaken up from her episode.

Finally, with one last hiccup, the girl was herself again. She released her embrace on her father, sliding off his lap.

"Oh, Relly." Link chided, reaching out and tucking a piece of her hair behind her ear. "You shouldn't be mixing up with those boys anyway."

Her pout twisted into a grimace. "Boys are gross." She said, crossing her arms. "And mean."

He mocked a look of offense. "But what about me?" he asked, putting a hand to his chest.

She smiled then, giggling lightly. "Daddy, you're so silly." She said, reaching up to kiss him on the cheek. "You'll always be the _best_ boy."

**xxxx**

"What are you doing?"

Link grinned at the little girl at his feet. "Stuff," he said, mimicking her whiny tone.

Little Zelda smiled back, reaching her arms up to be held. "What _kind _of stuff?" she persisted, craning her neck to see the stack of scrolls on her father's large desk.

"Stuff stuff." He replied cheerfully, lifting her onto his lap.

Arianna had a habit of wandering into his study when he was busy. At first it bothered him, after all, they had given her free reign of the castle and she chose _here _of all places to be. He had work to do, and the faster he got it done, the faster he could do something fun.

But she was surprisingly helpful. She fetched him spare quills and blank scrolls, she pulled books from the highest shelves and replaced them again, even got him a snack every once and a while.

And when he got up to do something himself, she would chide him exactly like Zelda would; lecturing him on the consequences of procrastination. Even at three years old, she was exactly like her mother.

"Get to work, Daddy." She said, patting him on the leg.

He rolled his eyes, stretching his arms around her torso to pick up the quill again, dipping it in the pot of ink and pressing it to the cream of the parchment.

But however seriously she took her job, she was still a child, and children were always inclined to ask questions. It didn't take her long to fall into this inevitable nature.

"What are you writing?" she asked, peering at the scrawls of meaningless words on the parchment.

"A letter." He responded, chuckling to himself.

"What _kind _of letter?"

Link smirked at his daughter's lack of originality, pausing to dip his quill in the ink again. "A letter to Windfall. I have to go there next week to meet the King."

"I thought you were the King, Daddy."

"Only of Hyrule. There's different Kings for different places." He explained patiently. "And I have to make friends with them so our people can be safe."

"Can I go?"

"Sorry, Zellie. Maybe another time. Daddy has important business to do." He grimaced at the thought. "Not that I'm any good at it." He muttered to himself, his mouth twisting in annoyance.

Because Aurelia was now engaged to Henry, the brother of the King of Windfall, it involved all sorts of complicated treaties, paperwork, diplomacies, and a whole bunch of other political nonsense that Link couldn't even understand half the time. All the scheming, plots and counter-plots, loopholes and fine-printing were enough to drive him insane.

Zelda, on the other hand, was completely in her element. She was thrilled for Aurelia, thrilled at the aspect of an iron-clad alliance with the prosperous mountainside kingdom. And much to Link's annoyance, she promised that he would accompany Henry back to Windfall.

Henry, the boy who was taking his daughter from him.

A boy. The boy. That's the way Link referred to him, both in his thoughts and in conversations. He refused to recognize the infuriating boy as a man, no matter the circumstances. He hadn't proved to him that he was worthy of being called a man.

_Men_ didn't propose to women without first consulting their father, without asking for their blessing. _Men _didn't just waltz into a party—where there were witnesses. Smart bastard.—and decide to tell said woman's parents that he was planning on marrying her. And what kind of man would avoid his fiancé's father instead of looking him right in the eye and facing the consequences?

Well, that was one positive of escorting him back home. Bastard couldn't avoid him then.

Grinning at the prospect, he pushed away from the desk, setting Zelda gently on her feet. "Come on, want to go say hi to Mommy with me?" he asked, reaching out and taking her tiny hand in his.

"Okay." The girl said cheerfully.

Abandoning the backlog of work on his desk, they treaded hand-in-hand up the stairs to his bedroom.

When they got close, the familiar voices of his family drifted from behind the door.

"Mother, I can't let you do this."

"Aurelia, I want to."

"But-"

"I insist. You look beautiful."

A bit fearful, Link pried open the door. Walking through the short hallway that opened into his bedroom, his eyes grew wide as saucers as he saw his daughter.

Aurelia stood on a makeshift pedestal in front of the stained glass window, absolutely glowing as she stared at her reflection in glass. She was adorned in a light blue sleeveless dress. The pale periwinkle of the torso twisted around her back, falling on the slightly darker skirts. It was free of any embellishment or design, but it was still the most breathtaking thing he had ever seen her in.

It was Zelda's wedding dress.

Her golden hair was in loose curls that flowed down her back, revealing the pleased blush of her pointed ears.

"Do I?"

"You always do." Link said quietly, taking on a nonchalant pose as if he was there the entire time, a smirk instantly on his face.

She whirled around, wrapping her arms around her chest. "Daddy?"

The sorrow that filled her eyes when she saw him, the way she called him daddy, it was enough to make his heart melt. He wanted to take her in his arms and crush her to his chest, burying his face in her delicate curls like when she was a little girl, assuring her that everything in the world would be alright. He wanted to be the only man in her world forever, the only one she could look up to and trust.

His throat tightened as he saw the pain on her face. "You look beautiful." He whispered, taking a step forward. "I just hope I don't trip on it when I walk you down the aisle."

With a strangled cry, she flung herself into his arms, holding him close like he was the only thing left in the world.

"I'm sorry." She sobbed. "I didn't mean to make you angry."

He took a deep breath. "I wasn't angry." He admitted. "I just…I didn't want to let you go. You were my first little girl."

She laughed once, a peculiar sound when mixed with her tears. "I'll always be your daughter. "Just…I'll have two men that I love, not just you."

He kissed the top of her head, leaning out at arm's length to look at her. "Just don't forget about me, okay? When you're gone, you're gonna have to visit this old man."

She snickered once, reaching on her tiptoes to kiss his cheek. "Don't worry, Dad. You'll always be my best man."

**Yeah, okay, I'll admit, the chapter was a bit short. There just wasn't much else to say, and I couldn't scrape anything else out of this. **

**For anyone who's curious, my profile picture is now Aurelia in her wedding dress. It's a bit hard to see, but you can still get the general idea from the small picture.**

**Welp, Seeya guys next week!**

**xoxo, Alyssa**


	11. Chapter Nine

**Oh, god, I'm so depressed. The Hunger Games was like, the worst movie I've ever seen ever. They left out so much and none of the characters had any development and I hated it so much and it was just awful. My life is such a lie. But, anyway... Huzzah! We're finally out of the goddess-damned exposition. ONTO THE PLOT! You don't know how long I've been waiting for this moment.**

**xoxo, Alyssa**

"Link, are you listening?"

His wife's irritated tone shook him from his daze. He closed his eyes, a small yawn escaping his lips. "What? Oh, yeah. Totally listening." He said quickly, shooting her a grin.

Zelda rolled her eyes, reaching up to straighten the leather belt stretching across his torso. "I mean it, Link. Be nice to Henry." 

"_Nice_," Link scoffed. "When am I ever nice?"

She tapped her foot impatiently. "Be _civil_. The poor boy knows you hate him already. Don't make it any worse." She stretched an arm over his head, fastening the strings of his dark burgandy cape around his neck, letting the velvety fabric swath around him. "He makes Aurelia happy, and that's all that matters. At least make an effort."

He frowned, looking down at her pleading face. "Fine. But just remember, _he _started it."

She smacked him playfully on the chest, a disapproving frown on her face. "You'd think you were six years old." She chided, adding a fur mantle over his cape, tying it securely under his chin.

He rolled his eyes at her remark, crossing his arms. "It's not easy being a father, you know."

"I know." She smiled patiently, hooking the clasp of the last garment. "That's it. You're finished." 

He bent down, pecking her once on the forehead. "Thank you." He murmured, wrapping his arms around her. "I'll see you soon."

Zelda smiled as she rested her head on his padded shoulder. "Come back to me." She said, laughter in her voice. By now, it was something of an inside joke. Every place he went, she would demand the same thing, and he would always oblige.

"Always." He replied, as always, kissing her again on the cheek. He turned to leave, his capes swirling around him.

"He'd better get to Windfall alive." She muttered, crossing her arms as she leaned against the wall.

He opened the door, waving one hand over his shoulder in a gesture of exasperation. "No promises."

**xxxx**

_Two years before_

Panic had always been a familiar feeling to Ophelia.

When she lost her favorite stuffed animal, when she had a temperature, when she couldn't find her mother in the usual places, hopeless, terrifying dread settled in her stomach, only consolable by the comforting arms of her father.

But he wasn't here now. He didn't know where she was. But now that she thought about it, _she _didn't even know where she was.

She stood in the middle of a vast plain, grasslands stretching all around her, dirt paths blemishing the green pastures. She knew right away that this was a different place than Hyrule Field. The familiar woodwork of Lon Lon Ranch was nowhere to be seen. She couldn't even see Death Mountain on the horizon.

And no matter which way she ran, she didn't seem to get anywhere.

The midnight summer wind blew carelessly around her face, sending her nightgown flapping around her legs, tripping her in her frantic searching.

What she was looking for, she didn't know. Someone, anyone, any_thing _that could tell her where she was, how she got here, or what was going on. She was rewarded, eventually, with the soothing sound of the pounding of hooves against the ground.

The noise grew louder, hammering in her ears as she spun around, desperate to find the source. Suddenly, a man clad in a dark red tunic appeared over the hill, his blonde hair in a disarray as he urged his beast forward, an exhilarated smile on his face.

Only on closer inspection did she realize it was her father.

"Daddy?" She called, running towards him, her bare feet aching from the stony grass. She sprinted directly into his path, forcing him to see her, but he continued to stare forward into the distance.

"Daddy!" She yelled, her eyes widening. He was getting closer, but making no acknowledgment to her presence. It was if…he couldn't see her. But of _course_ he could see her! She was right in front of him! He was about to run her over!

She held her ground, gritting her teeth as the towering form of her father atop his horse approached, coming closer by the second.

Bracing herself, she tensed to throw herself out of the way, when something caused the horse to rear off its course.

The startled cry of her father was muffled by the whinny of the terrified horse as a bolt of black lightning cracked through the sky, striking the ground not two feet from where she was standing.

A small scream escaped her lips as she scrambled backward, tripping and falling over the hem of her nightdress.

Another streak of black flew through the air, whirling into a tornado that was heading straight towards him. As hard as she tried, however, she couldn't get back up to help him. Her arms and legs were suddenly like lead, weighing her down. Her heart thudded loudly in her chest, a staccato drum that added to her hysteria.

Her father's eyes mirrored hers, wide and disbelieving as he stared at the tornado, still lying on the ground, clutching his arm to his chest. A black gash stretched across the flesh there, turning the surrounding veins dark and opaque underneath his skin.

"DADDY!" she shrieked, but still, no answer. Not even a glance in her direction.

The cyclone twisted, shrinking in on itself and spewing black blobs, burning and hissing as they hit the ground around him. 

Before she could even realize what the tarlike blobs were, monsters grew from the puddles. Moblins and Bokoblins by the dozens landed on the ground with gigantic thuds. The army of monsters surrounded him, their piglike faces twisted into sadistic grimaces as they pointed their wicked blades at his chest.

The whirlwind came to a stop at his feet, abruptly turning into the silhouette of the person.

The person laughed then, a vicious, sadistic cackle that echoed in the otherwise silent night.

'Hello, Hero of Time."

She bolted upright out of bed, panting heavily as she clutched at her frantic heart.

Just a dream. It was just a dream.

She sank back into the warm cushions of her bed, closing her eyes against the faint stream of sunlight coming from the slit in between the curtains framing her window.

Wrapping her arms around her chest, she concentrated on making her breathing even. _In and out. In and out._

Dreams like these were common. An old farmer man whose cart broken down in the middle of Hyrule Field, jumped by a gang of thieves. A child who wandered too far away from their mother in the bustle of Castle Town, being taken by a friendly-faced stranger. Even that once with the family in the little village, with a man and a little girl being taken by a crowd of Moblins.

Unthinkable terrors haunted her dreams regularly. But this was something new. This was the first time they had ever involved someone she knew.

But it was _fine_. They were just dreams. Her daddy was home, in the castle, and he would never in his right _mind _be traveling without his guards. He would probably even come to wake her up before breakfast, just like he did every morning.

She had nothing to worry about.

Lulled by her complacent thoughts, she curled up under her covers and allowed unconsciousness to take her again.

**xxxx**

"It's nice to meet you, King Hyrule."

The woman that addressed him was a slight blonde, her eyes sunken and grey. She made a slight curtsy, in the same motion sweeping her ruby skirts underneath her so she could sit.

"The pleasure is all mine." said Link, nodding his head and taking a seat in the adjacent armchair to hers. "Forgive me, but I don't believe I've ever had the pleasure of your acquaintance before. Might I ask for your name?"

"Clara." she obliged, wrinkling her nose. "I'm Aaron's…_wife_." Her mouth twisted as if she had a bad taste in her mouth. "And I've heard about you. You can drop the eloquent act. I hate it as much as you do."

He sighed quietly in relief, grateful to be able to drop the carefully scripted words that Zelda had provided for him. They sounded so peculiar coming from his mouth.

"Thank you," he said, offering her a small smile.

She rolled her eyes. "Aaron is with Henry and the counsel. I was told to come and make conversation with you until he's finished."

He chuckled once. "Well, then. Let's make conversation. I wouldn't want to have nothing to do for a whole _ten _minutes while they sort things out."

A grin crossed her face. "Well, I haven't been told who you are, besides the fact you come from Hyrule."

"I am Link, orphaned before I could walk, raised by the Kokiri, saved Hyrule by running around in a silly hat."

She laughed, a bigger smile livening her face. "And how did you get to become a king, Mr. Kokiri?"

"I married a princess." Link said simply, cocking his head to the side. "Haven't you read all the stories? Isn't that a sure way to get a happily ever after?"

The smile wiped off her face, her grey eyes suddenly becoming very sad. "Not all the time." She disagreed, looking down at her feet. "Just take me for example. The minute I was born, my father had my entire life was planned out for me. Where I would go, who I would marry, how many children I would have. I married a prince, and _I _don't have a happily ever after. And neither did-"

Her face became red, her eyes widening. "I'm so sorry. I'm not sure what came over me, I'm normally not this-"

"It's fine." Link interrupted, looking down at the ground as well. "You remind me of a friend I once knew. I'm intrigued. Tell me more."

She pursed her lips tightly. "I hated Aaron, at first, only because of who he was. He was the boy I was being forced to marry. Nothing else but a menace. But…I guess things got a little better, once it was all done and over with. I finally had freedom, and I kicked my father away. Haven't talked to him in years."

She paused, a small smile crossing her face. "Things started to be okay after I had my daughters. They've been okay for a while now."

Link grinned. "You have children?"

"Yes." Clara said, looking up, a twinkle in her eye. "Celine is nine, and Cedany is four. They make me happy."

He nodded his head. "I'm not sure where I'd be now without my children. But then, I have seven. I'm sure my life would be considerably different."

"Tell me about them."

"Aurelia is engaged to Henry, much to my distaste." He began, playing with his fingers in his lap. "And then there's my son, Link Ronan, who-"

Her eyebrows shot up, a small gasp escaping her lips. "_Ronan_?" She asked, her voice slightly strangled.

"He was named for one of my good friends. Passed away some time ago, Farore bless his- Hey, are you okay?"

Clara's face had turned a reddish purple, tears brimming over in her eyes. A full scale meltdown was on the way, and if Link knew anything about women, it was time to get as far away as possible.

But he had caused this meltdown, and it wouldn't be fair to ditch her in this state, with no one else around. 

"I'm sorry! Did I say something wrong?"

"Ronan," she whispered, her voice ragged and quiet. "Was my-"

"Clara, dearest!" The pompous voice made them both jump.

Any sign of tears were immediately wiped from her face as she stood, turning to the tall brunette man approaching, arm and arm with Henry. "Hello, Aaron." She muttered, smoothing out her hair.

"I see you've met my lovely wife." He said, coming forward to wrap an arm around her shoulders.

Link nodded, smiling politely. "She has a way of engaging me in conversation." He said, immediately taking up his formal tone.

Aaron grinned. "That she does. Now, if you'll follow me, I'll take you to meet the counsel, and we'll discuss the details of this treaty…"

Shooting a please-don't-leave-me-with-him look at Clara behind Aaron's back, he grudgingly followed the man through the door.

**xxxx**

The countryside of Windfall was said to be the most beautiful landscape in the world. Link could see why that was said.

As the vibrant colors of sunset faded into the dark blues and purples of night, he rode alone down the crisscrossing rustic dirt roads, listening to the chirping of the crickets.

It was so lovely, so peaceful, so perfect.

The evening wind played with his hair, blowing lazily through the tall grasses and fields of wheat, creating such a serene atmosphere that he was almost lulled to sleep. If he continued at this pace, he would never get home.

Digging his heels into the flank of his mare, he flicked the reigns once. The horse took off into a gallop, kicking up dust from the path and thundering in their wake.

Maybe he'd get home soon enough to tell Maggie and Zelda a bedtime story, or play a game of chess with Marceline. Not that he could ever beat her…

The thoughts of his family made a brilliant smile grow on his face. Even though he'd only been gone for the day, he missed them all terribly.

He could picture their faces when he barged in during the middle of dinner. They'd all run to give him hugs and kisses, all of them except Aurelia and Link, who thought themselves too old for things like giving affection to your parents.

One day they'd realize how foolish they were.

A particularly heavy gust of wind blew through the air, and the boom of thunder registered in his ears. A storm was coming.

He drew his cloak closer around him, looking around shiftily. The sky was cloudy, not like it was just minutes before. Perhaps these quick storms were common to Windfall. It _was _a tropical region, building the bulk of their towns on the high cliffs that overlooked the ocean.

He urged his beast forward, leaning down to shield himself from the chilly wind. Another smile crept onto his face. He loved the speed, the adrenaline, the pounding of the hooves into the ground…

_CRACK._

He cried out in shock as something sliced across his arm, his horse throwing him from the saddle in fear.

His breath left him in a huff as he hit the ground, hot blood pouring from the gash in his arm. "Din's _blood_!" he growled, trying to pick himself up. Blinding pain shot through his body, paralyzing him to the spot. He cried out, instinctively clutching him arm to his chest. Looking down, his eyes grew wide as he saw the state of it.

The gash wasn't red, it was a jet black. The surrounding veins had grown, very dark and prominent underneath his flesh.

He gritted his teeth, using his other arm to pick himself up, but ultimately failed. When he looked up, though, another shock was waiting for him.

_CRACK_.

A bolt of lightning hit the ground, the dust it disturbed turning obsidian and whirling into a tornado. It spun in a circle, collecting more debris and sending the horse running hell-for-leather in a random direction. Bulbous blobs flew from the top of it, frothing and steaming as they surrounded him.

His instincts screamed for him to run, to fight, to do _something_, but his legs were like lead. He couldn't move, even if he wanted to.

The blobs grew upward, forming into a silhouette, then hardening into a solid and taking a form.

Moblins.

Bokoblins.

And here he was without a weapon.

They all pointed their grimy blades at his head, grunting with glee as they all stared at him with their squinty, pig-like eyes.

The tornado came spinning to a stop at his feet, it too turning into the liquidy form of a silhouette, but this one remained so. Chills flew up his spine at the sinister laughter that registered in his ears.

"Hello, Hero of Time."

And then everything went black.

**xxxx**

"_Farore_!"

He moaned, lifting his hand to his throbbing head, using the other to right himself. His eyes flickered open as he took in his surroundings.

The first things he registered were the bleak iron bars in front of him. So he was in a jail, or a dungeon, then. The walls were made of grimy stone, splattered with blood, dirt, and Goddess knows what else, as were the floors. He could hear the scurrying of rats and other night creatures around him, the sounds of them intermingling with the dripping of water.

And there, huddled in the corner, a slight man with a manacle around his ankle.

His shaggy blonde hair and beard were matted with blood and gore, hanging limp around the sides of his head. He was curled up around himself, his head resting on his shoulders, but Link could still see the features of his face. Something familiar tugged at the edges of his memory as he stared at the man, something he couldn't quite place immediately.

But the more he watched, realization and fear settled in his stomach.

He knew that hair. That face. He thought he'd never see them again. Mostly because he thought they'd be six feet under.

Was he hallucinating? …There was only one way to find out.

Sucking in a deep breath, he looked towards the man and called out his name.

"Ronan?" 

**HA. CLIFFHANGER.**

**But anyway, long chapter, but sorry for the delay. Homework is a bitch. And I have those stupid state tests coming up. I'm trying to get them out every Monday like I said I would, but it's getting tricky. Grumblegrumble…**


	12. Chapter Ten

**Another long chapter. WOO. Cranking them out like a big shot in the middle of nowhere. You know I have to get my aunt to drive me to Starbucks to upload these chapters for you?  
>Yeah. You be grateful.<strong>

**Xoxo, Alyssa**

_Ten Years Before_

"Darling?" He called from the hallway.

Clara sighed, biting her lip and looking down at her sewing. They'd been married for five years, five agonizing years, but in those years…he'd grown considerably.

Now twenty-one, Aaron was the ruler of his kingdom. He was a loving husband, a kind ruler, and a smart man. But Clara could not come to love him. Not when it was forced. And not without _him _to support her.

She was careful not to ever mention his name. It brought back too many memories, too many hopes, too many promises…actually, to be specific, one. But he had died before he could fulfill it.

Aaron walked in then, his crown glimmering atop his mussed brown hair.

The glitter of his crown caught her eyes. _He _hated crowns. A memory of his smiling voice came flooding through her.

"Are you kidding?" he scoffed, holding her tiara aloft. "This thing could pay for someone's _house_, and you prance around with it on your head!"

"Well, _I _think it's pretty!" Ella interjected stubbornly, scowling.

And then they had both laughed so hard their stomachs hurt, their faces a blotchy red and their eyes tearing.

But now, heart-wrenching, painful tears came before she had a chance to stop them, the mere memory of him coming to haunt her yet again.

"You've received some mail, love, and I-oh, what's wrong?"

He looked taken aback at her meltdown, but with good reason. After hedied, she was careful to control every emotion, every minute inch of her expression. Never did she cry for him in front of others.

"I'm fine." Clara muttered, covering her face in her hands.

Aaron knew she was stubborn, stubborn enough to sever ties with her parents after Ronan'sdeath, after the wedding. But he was determined, just this once, to console her.

"Dearest, talk to me." He whispered, sitting beside her and wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Just don't." she muttered, shoving him away.

But Aaron wasn't having that. He cupped her face in his hands, forcing him to look at her.

"Clara-No! Look at me!" He commanded, for she had turned away. "Listen. I can't pretend like this anymore. I've known since I was a child you've never cared for me, but truly, I do love you. But I can't look at you and try to pretend like you love me, too. It's impossible. You reject every form of affection I give you, every consoling word…I can't deal with this! I don't deserve this! At least _try _to make this bearable. Please? I love you, and I want to see you happy. Ever since Ronan died, you've been-"

"STOP!" Clara shrieked, covering her ears with her hands and burying her face in the cushion of the loveseat they sat on. Half of it was the fact that she couldn't stand the truth of his words, couldn't listen to her blasphemy. But the other part…he had uttered fighting words. If there was one thing she couldn't bear, it was hearing his name.

"Clara, I'm sorry." He whispered with remorse in his voice, rubbing her back. "I…I just can't pretend anymore. I can't bear to see you so ruined."

Indeed, she was ruined. Her once azure blue eyes had become a dull, lifeless grey. Her skin because pale and uncared for. Her hair had long since paled into such an ash-blonde that it could be taken as white.

All because of _him. _Twenty-four years old, and a complete wreck.

She ignored him, still trying to calm her hysteria.

"What makes you happy? I swear, I'll find it if I have to go a thousand miles." He pledged, still waiting for a response from her.

Her breath hitched as she remembered the oath that _he _had made for her all those years ago, almost exactly the same as the one Aaron was making for her now. Slowly, she removed her face from the seat, looking into his dark brown eyes with her ruined, grey ones, preparing to finally tell him the whole truth.

"_He _made me happy, Aaron. He made me happy every single day, and now he's gone! He's gone and he's never going to be coming back, because of my completely insensitive, power-hungry father. And then, you know what? He forced me to marry you. He ended _his _life and ruined mine, all for land and money!"

Her words sent a stab of pain through Aaron's chest. However, it wasn't as bad. It was no more than he already knew. All along, he knew that Clara had never, ever loved him. But he had never suspected…never once imagined…did she really think of her life ruined? Was he that bad of a husband?

The answer was no. He was a brilliant, wonderful, caring, and devoted man, and his kingdom prospered over his regime. Everyone adored him. He could have any woman ne so desired…it was only irony that the woman he desired had never loved him in return.

"If…that's the way you feel. I'm sorry, love." He said, throwing the letter down on the table in front of him. "I'm sorry you have to go through this because of me."

He exited the room, the selfless man troubled more than he had ever been.

Clara, on the other hand, was almost giddy. It was the first time she had ever truly spoken how she felt to anyone besides _him._ She didn't plan on opening the letter, assuming it was another plea from her father, or from the fourteen year old Ella to come and visit. To neither of these she replied. It was simply too painful.

However, curiosity got the best of her, and she quickly broke the wax seal, and opened the parchment envelope.

_Dearest Clara,_

She flinched as she read the title. It was what Aaron called her. No one else. Who could this be?

_First and foremost, I am indeed alive. I'm sure word has traveled to you by now that I have crossed into the Sacred Realm. No, I am fine. Don't think this as forgery as you must, I know how dishonest you can be. I'll find a way to prove to you that this is indeed your brother. _

_Father believes me to be dead—as everyone else does—and I cannot go back to our home, Termina, for he will likely ship me off to another kingdom and we will be apart again. I send this to you with the upmost sincerity that you will keep it secret. _

_About the Princess… She believes me deceased as well, her and her lover. Yes, she was in one of those scandalous relationships with a simple common boy. I think he was a wonderful person, though, and I can see that he truly deserves the Princess's love._

_I miss you and Ella terribly. I miss the way you make me laugh, I miss the way we eat every meal together, I miss watching Ella fail at doing things herself, and most of all, I just miss being able to tell the both of you everything. I can't trust anyone here with my true identity. _

_You might be wondering what my plan is, now. I hope to establish a place of our own, a place where you and Ella and I can be together, without fear of being separated. Living on our own, I'll bet we can do it. _

_Don't try to contact me. I'll find a way to send word to you. My name is no longer Ronan Ozarksson, Prince of Termina. I'm dead to the world, Clar, to everyone except you. I can't have Father find out about me, to send me off somewhere else—or back to Zelda. I know it's selfish of me to send you this and then tell you not to reply, just… I needed to tell someone, you know?_

_When you get this letter, it means that I am near, watching over you. I've delivered it personally; I don't trust this letter in any other hands besides yours. _

_I love you. Never, ever forget that. You won't have to endure the tyrannous selfish ways of our father much longer. I'll come for you, and maybe Ella, too, and we'll start a new life together._

_I'll see you soon._

_Love forever, Ronan_

_PS. You were sort of my entire life in Termina, you and Ella, did you know that? But I'm sorry to say, I've changed too much to go back to that life. I've gotten another perspective. I've found my bravery that's been shrunken by cowardly fear. That is the one good thing that has come out of this whole mess. I'll tell you all of my adventure here when I see you next. You know, if I would have found my courage sooner…well, things would be different. _

Ronan. _Ronan._ He was here. He was watching over her. He still is!

A part of her didn't want to trick herself into believing that this was truly her brother and not her father, a part of a vile trick that would tear whatever pieces she had put back together of her heart to shreds.

But something about this, something about the hope that this letter brought her…it allowed her to believe. Believe in the fact that her brother was there, give her some form of hope to cling to what was left of her life.

She clutched the letter to her chest, tears running down her face, as she allowed the light to enter her eyes for the first time in ten years.

**xxxx**

The man slowly lifted his head and looked up, his sunken eyes still a light, sparkling blue.

Once he was able to see his eyes—Aurelia's eyes—Link was certain. It was Ronan.

Link was startled by the youthfulness of his old friend's face. It was almost exactly the same as how he remembered—aside from the fact he was covered in dirt and blood, and that he had grown a beard.

Why had time not changed Ronan as it had he and Zelda and…well, everyone else in the world?

Or was he just imagining things?

"Link?" Ronan asked, lifting a hand to rub his eyes. "What _happened _to you?"

For a long time he didn't say anything. He wasn't sure how to react. He had believed Ronan to be long dead, and now, here he was in front of him, acting like it had only been days since they'd last seen each other. He bit his lip, attempting to fight off the inconsolable rage or the panic attack that was surely coming.

Link chuckled once, his tone a bit hysterical, as he rested his head in his hands. "I could ask the same for you." He said lightly, his voice weak. "But right now, I've got several more questions that I'd rather you answer first."

Ronan's gaze shifted to the floor, his face becoming a deep crimson. "Well, um, what do you want to know?"

The Hero took a deep breath, his vision spinning. _Don't panic_. he chanted in his head. _Don't panic. There's a completely logical explanation for this. Don't panic. _

"How is it that you were alive?" he asked slowly, closing his eyes.

Ronan kept his eyes fixed on the floor. "I…I, well…they fixed me."

"That's a load of bullshit, and we both know it." Link snapped harshly, his breath leaving him in an aggravated huff. "I saw that arrow hit you. I watched you die, Ronan. I was at your funeral! You did not get _fixed_. For the love of the Goddesses, you'd better explain."

He coughed embarrassedly, running his fingers through his matted hair. "I'm not exactly sure how much I can tell you." He admitted, his mouth twisting into a grimace. "I haven't ever told _anyone _the whole story. Not even my sisters."

"Explain. Now."

Ronan took a deep breath, closing his eyes. "Where would you like me to start?"

"I don't know." The world was still spinning, but it didn't stop Link from spitting out the most sarcastic voice he could possibly utter. "How about when you _died_?"

"Your sense of humor hasn't changed a bit." Ronan said, forcing out a humorless chuckle.

"Get on with it."

"Fine." he snapped, looking up to glare at Link. "I died. It hurt like a bitch and the last thing I remember was seeing _you_."

Link opened his mouth to argue, but Ronan quickly cut him off. "Ah, ah, ah. Let me finish. I died. But then I woke up in the Sacred Realm. The Golden Goddess spoke to me, and because I died saving _your _sorry ass, she gave me my life back." He paused for a moment. "That's all I know for sure about what happened regarding my…er…rebirth. So this is what happened after.

"I came to right in front of Castle Town's gate, and the first thing I did was look for…an old friend of mine. But instead of finding her, I met her sister. But…she wasn't eight years old, like before I died. She was eighteen. And she told me that her sister was dead. I was so shocked and afraid and confused, I passed out right there.

Evelyna is her name. She dragged me inside her house, put me on her bed, and started to nurse my fragile psyche. She lived alone and needed someone to do the heavy work, so we made an arrangement that I could stay with her if I did the chores. We grew closer over the years, and I began to love again. We got married, and decided to get away from Castle Town. Since she didn't have any family, she didn't mind going away with me. We packed up all her things and sold her little house, and we moved down with the next caravan to Ordon. I started to build us a home, and the rest of the men down there all pitched in when they could. Eventually, it was finished, and she had our children, Lucian and Illiana."

He rested his head on his knees again, his lips suddenly turning into a flat, angry line.

"And it's been three years since my children were born. But a few months ago—maybe more, maybe less, there isn't a way to keep track of time down here—the village was raided by Bokoblins. Hundreds of them, all at once. They ransacked the place. And they kidnapped me. I don't know where Ev and my children are. I don't know if they're okay. I don't even know if they're _alive_."

Link bit his lip, his eyes following the cracks in the stone. "As much as I feel bad for you, I'm still furious that you never let Zelda or I know you were okay. I've had you on my conscience for two decades."

"I'm sorry for that. But I couldn't risk…I couldn't risk my father finding out about me and sending me back to Zelda, or sending me to someone else. The only person that knew I was alive was Clara, and I haven't made contact with her for ten years."

"Fine then. I forgive you. But this story of yours doesn't answer my most critical question. Why did we both get taken? And _who_ took us?" 

Ronan's face became dark as he looked at Link with knowing eyes.

"It's Ganondorf. He's back." 

**BAM. 'Nother cliffhanger.  
>Because I love you guys that much.<strong>

**Review as always, let me know what you think (I got three times more than I usually do last update, so thank you for that)**

**xoxo, Alyssa**


	13. Chapter Eleven

**I'm in love with Skyrim. It's a shame my computer doesn't have a good enough graphic card for it. I've been in depressed mode, listening to Skyrim music, and I didn't realize it was time to update until Tuesday of last week. I apologize for that and this chapter being short. Very plot ridden chapter next time, though. I'll post it early. **

**xoxo, Alyssa**

It was late.

The moon was reaching its zenith in the sky as she watched from her bedroom window, her eyes fixated on the gates to the castle.

Her father still wasn't home.

Before he left, he had told her that he was only making a trip for the day, that he'd be back before she went to bed to tuck her in. He should have been back hours ago.

Tiptoeing across her bedroom, she wove her fingers through the silver handle of the candle on her bedside, using the flint beside it until a spark ignited the wick. A small pool of light illuminated room, heating the cold skin of her hand.

She held her breath, looking over to her sister's bed with wide eyes. Sighing in relief when the blanketed girl didn't stir, she continued to slowly walk towards the door.

The hallways were deserted in the evening, when all the guards were either asleep in the barracks or outside on patrol. The hairs on the back of her neck stood at the eeriness of the empty castle, each footstep echoing louder than the next.

Where her destination was, she wasn't quite sure. At first she had thought she was looking for her father, but he was not even in the castle. Her mother, then. Surely, she would allow her to crawl into bed with the absence of her father.

Turning on her heel and making towards the stairs, she saw the stirring of a shadow in her peripheral vision, the flame of the candle stirring at the motion.

"Hello?" She called out, walking towards the figure slowly, holding the candle aloft.

"Is anyone-" she began, but something hard slammed into the back of her head. She gasped once before falling to the floor, her skull bashing against the stones below her.

And as it hit the ground, the sputtering flame of the candle went out.

**xxxx**

_Two Years Before_

She bolted upright from her bed, her breath heaving as if she had just run a marathon.

_Farore, _this one had been bad.

Her eyes darted around her bedroom, searching for potential threats lurking in the dark shadows. For a moment they lingered on the rhythmic rising and falling of Marceline's chest, and she tried to match her breathing to hers, but to no avail.

She watched the peaceful face of her unconscious sister with envy. What she wouldn't give to—just _once_—sleep peacefully through the night, her dreams not plagued from night terrors.

Her mother had told her that her dreams were a gift, a blessing from Farore, when she was just a toddler. She used a lot of big words that she had not understood, but it didn't matter what she said. She refused to believe dreams like these were anything but a curse.

She had been running.

From what, she didn't know.

She was in Hyrule field, Castle Town shrinking behind her with every frantic step, tearing up the ground and scrambling on her hands and knees up the rolling hills—anything to get away from the nameless, unthinkable terror behind her.

But no matter how fast she ran or how high she climbed, she felt the scaly, rotted hand of her pursuer slipping their fingers around her ankle. Her fingers clawed at the dirt, trying to find purchase in the ground to keep from being taken down, but it was hopeless. Another hand grabbed at her hair, forcing her head back and pressing the cool metal of a knife to the flesh of her throat.

They had murmured something quietly into her ear, something she couldn't hear over the sound of her screams.

And then she woke up.

A gentle breeze blew through the open doors to the balcony, stirring the light fabric that hung from the canopy of her bed. The air cooled her overheated skin and calmed her tense muscles. She took a deep breath, lying back on her pillows with a soft sigh, her breathing slowing back to normal.

_Just a dream_. _It was just a dream._

She had driven herself into a panic over her nightmares too many times. Ever since she had the dream about her father, she realized that she worried over nothing. Despite her dream, her father was fine, safe in the castle. No evil monsters had ever come close to hurting him, nor would a tornado spin him until the skin came off his body. It was ridiculous now that she thought about it. Why had she ever been afraid for him?

And even though her terror tonight was about herself, why should she have any reason to be troubled?

She was safe.

**xxxx**

When she awoke, the first thing she was aware of was the cold, hard flagstones underneath her. Her eyelids fluttered reflexively, but she harshly snapped them shut. She didn't dare look around for fear of the terrible things that surely lurked directly above her.

Her worst fears were confirmed when she heard the crooning of a deep, sickly sweet voice.

"Well, good morning, sweetheart. I'm so _glad_ you're awake."

She tentatively opened her eyes, pushing herself into an upright position. "W-who's there?" she called out, her voice wavering as she observed her surroundings. She was in her parents' bedroom, or more specifically, a twisted version of her parents' bedroom. The sheets on the familiar bed were jet black and shimmering, the carved wooden roses along the bedpost now a threatening obsidian metal. The marble alabaster stonework of the walls was gone, instead replaced with a bleak, gray bricking. The only light came from the fireplace, where a wicked green fire illuminated the portrait of her parents that hung above it. Only…it wasn't her parents.

Her mother's face was twisted into a grimace, ashy white hair falling on a dangerous dress made of the same fabric that made the bedcovers—a shiny, lustrous black.

Her father stood beside her, an arm locked around her waist. His hands were taloned claws, one clutching at a shadowy sword that seemed to glow. His trademark green tunic was replaced with one nearly identical, the only difference being its dark coloring. His face was framed with snow white hair, on top of which rested his usual sock cap. But when she observed his face, a shudder ran down her spine at the sickening sight.

His eyes were a pupilless, menacing red.

In the firelight, she could just make out the hulking figure trying to conceal himself in the threshold. "Who are you?" she demanded, attempting to stand, but her legs were shaking too much to support her.

The man slid from the shadows, letting the light from the flames hit his face.

"Hello, lovely."

His skin was a greenish brown, his hair a flaming red. The thick ornamental body armor he wore suggested his high social class, as did the crown that rested atop his head. A smile lit up his face as he watched the petrified girl give a small squeak of fear before scrambling away on all fours, resting her back against the wall.

"There's no need to be afraid, dearest. As long as you give me what I want, there's no reason that I would harm you."

"What do you want with me?" She whispered, lifting her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms around her legs, rocking slightly, terror slowly filling her stomach.

"Why don't we begin with your name?"

Her bottom lip trembled as she looked up, forcing herself to look him in the eyes. "Ophelia." She murmured, trying to make her voice sound strong and proud, just like her father had taught her, but any strength she possessed had abandoned her the first time she saw the green man.

"Excellent." The man's face suddenly turned into a delightful grimace, clapping his hands together once, hardly attempting to conceal his glee. "You _are_ the one I need."

**Yeah, short chapter. I took two weeks to come out with nothing. I'm sorry, but I spent so long brainstorming and coming up with nothing that I lost track of time D:  
>But next chapter will be awesome. I promise.<strong>


	14. Chapter Twelve

**Longer chapter, just like I promised. Because I'm updating this earlier, I'm not sure if the next update will be out on Monday.**

**Hope you guys like it:) **

**xoxo, Alyssa**

Link's head snapped up, his eyes suddenly as alert as a rabbit's, pupils dilated with fear.

"He's _back?_" he repeated, staring at Ronan with disbelief. "He can't be back! I killed him! I drove my sword into his brain! I…I…This isn't possible!"

Ronan closed his eyes, looking down at the floor again with solemn eyes. "He's back. He took us here. But there's something you should know, before I get sidetracked, Link, I-"

Just then, the heavy, barred door to their cells opened, and the man himself walked through, from his hand dangling a small girl. Her long blonde hair cascaded around her unconscious face.

Link had never seen the girl before. Perhaps Ganondorf believed this was one of his daughters? Yes, she slightly resembled little Zelda, but not by much. A terrible feeling twisted at his stomach as he prepared to watch this little girl be tortured by a mistake made by the evil man.

But what Link was unprepared for was the fierceness of Ronan's response to the girl.

"What have you done to her?" Ronan growled, fighting at his restraints. He was suddenly an animal, thrashing to get free of the chains the bound him, a feral glint in his eye.

The green man's face twisted into an evil, grimacing grin. He grabbed the unconscious girl by the collar of her dress, reaching out to show the prisoner. "I've knocked her out. Her crying was getting _so _bothersome."

"If you so much as left a _bruise_, I swear to the Goddesses, I'll-" Ronan began to threaten.

Ganondorf rolled his eyes. "Oh, no need to worry, friend. She'll be absolutely fine once she comes to. I haven't done anything else to her. _Yet_."

At this point, Link supposed, Ronan finally had come to his senses. He had realized that they were both completely helpless.

"Don't hurt her! Please!" The man went limp as he begged his captor, his eyes shifting to the empty face of the child.

"You get me what I want; I'll give you what you want. Give me the Triforce of Courage!" The evil man demanded, shaking the girl for good measure.

"I haven't got it!" Ronan shouted stubbornly. "I don't know where it is! Please, just leave her alone! Let her go home!"

Link stiffened in his cell. Guilt seeped through his body as he saw Ronan's tortured face. Who was this little girl, why was she so important to him? Could she be one of his sisters, perhaps?

Ganondorf chuckled once. "Ah, don't lie to me boy. We both know where it is and who has it." He spun on his heel and opened the door behind him. "You get it for me; I'll give you the girl back." And with that, Ganondorf strode from the room.

Immediately, Ronan turned on his cellmate. "Link! Link, please!" he begged, his voice suddenly hysterical.

Link was taken aback. He had not expected Ronan to confront him immediately. When had he ever told him about the sacred triangle? Had he seen the glimmer of the power on the back of his hand? Had someone told him?

"Ronan, howin the name of the Goddesses do you know about that?" Link asked, keeping his eyes on the door in which the evil man had exited. He was almost afraid of the answer that his old friend would give.

"It doesn't matter." Ronan said quickly, shifting his gaze from his only hope to the floor.

"Tell me!" demanded Link, his voice raising.

"I said it doesn't matter!" he shouted, his volume matching that of his prison mate. "The fact is you have it! Now just give it to him! He'll get it anyway!"

"You want me to just hand him the power he needs to start an apocalypse?" Link asked, staring at Ronan with incredulous eyes. "You want me to just give him the power to kill Zelda, to kill _everyone_? Ronan, we all have to make sacrifices, and-"

"I can't just let him kill her!" argued Ronan, gesturing to the door. 

"Who is she?" Link asked suddenly, following Ronan's had with his gaze to the heavy door, as if he could see what was behind it.

Ronan's face blushed as he looked back down to the floor. "No one," he murmured sheepishly.

"My Goddesses!" Link growled, "Why the _hell _are you being so vague?" He was sick of his cryptic, useless responses. Link wanted answers, and he wanted them _now_.

"It's none of your business." Ronan replied evasively.

"The hell it isn't!" shouted Link, kicking the rotting stone of his cell wall. "I won't let him win for just anyone! If you want me to give the Triforce up, you'd best give me answers!"

The Prince's face twisted as he took in Link's words. "I saved your life! I don't have to do anything for _you_, you greedy son of a-"

The rest of his words were cut off by the piercing scream of a child.

The two men both whipped their heads to the direction in which it came, identical looks of horror on their faces.

The door opened.

Ganondorf now wielded a dagger. It was a small, pitiful weapon, one that wouldn't do much damage to anything but the helpless. But both Link and Ronan were helpless. Which man did he plan to use it on?

Link's eyes had immediately gone to the threat, but Ronan saw the whole picture first.

For in the green man's other hand dangled the same little girl from before, only this time, she was bloodstained, shrieks of pain escaping her lips.

"DADDY!" She screamed, her voice piercing through Link's heart, paralyzing him to the spot as he slowly turned his eyes to her.

"My apologies, Ronan, but it was obvious you were getting nowhere, so I believed you needed more…_motivation_." Ganondorf simpered, his eyes glinting wickedly. "Be more effective or your others will be next."

He opened the door to Ronan's cell, unceremoniously throwing the bloody and screaming body of the child on the floor in front of his feet, and thus left the room.

"Illiana!" Ronan cried, stretching his arms against the manacles to hold her. "Baby, shh, hold on, sweetheart, please!" he begged, but Link knew it was futile. She had been stabbed her abdomen, right in the center of her stomach. Judging from the blood pouring from the wound, something vital had been injured. Ronan's attempts to stem the flow of blood from the wound and his pleading words were in vain. She wouldn't survive.

Link looked away, sickened by the scene playing out in front of him, as he pondered Ganondorf's words. "Be more effective of your others will be next…"

What others? Who was this little girl, and how many others were there? Who were they?

Link kept his brain focused on the task, but despite his best efforts, he couldn't quite block out the sounds of the child's whimpering and his comrade.

"Baby, please!" Ronan begged. "I need you! Don't…don't go!" his voice hitched and broke with desperation.

After an agonizing minute, despite Ronan's pleas, her cries were cut off with a sickening gurgle.

Link could imagine the light leaving the girl's eyes, the faltering thump of her heart ceasing. He had seen too many people die; too many lives lost because of him…

He turned his head back to the pair. The little blonde girl looked nauseatingly like his youngest. As his eyes trailed down to the bloody wound, bile rose in his throat. How could anyone harm something so young, so innocent?

"She was my daughter," Ronan said suddenly, his voice ragged and heartbroken. "You selfish, greedy bastard! She was my daughter and now she's dead, because of you!"

"Ronan, I-" Link began, but then had to steady himself with a shaky breath, still staring at the corpse of the lifeless Illiana. "I'm so sorry."

He kicked himself for not realizing it sooner, not doing anything he could to save the precious life of the dead child in front of him.

"Sorry doesn't change the fact that you took everything from me." Ronan responded without hesitation. "You took my first love, my relationship with my father, my kingdom and my sisters, even my Goddess-damned _LIFE_, Link! But I got over that. I forgave you. However, now, you've taken even more. You got him to take me from my home, my wife, my entire life that I've been living for ten years! And now…and now you just took my daughter, too." His voice became sarcastically sickly-sweet, mocking. "All because you wanted to have a happily ever after with your Princess." He crooned, rolling his eyes. "Well, how the hell did that work out for you, Hero of Time? Got your happy ending?"

Ronan paused, his azure eyes burning with hatred. "No? Well, no one else has, either. Because of you."

"I…this isn't all my fault." Link breathed raggedly, resting his head on his knees as he clung to his sanity.

It wasn't his fault. Ronan made his choice. He had been prepared to take the arrow, to die for his mistakes. And even after that, Hyrule had prospered under his rule…hadn't they? They were safe, free from the evil of Ganondorf, but rebuilding Castle Town had been no easy task. Even now, they suffered from the blow to the economy. Plenty of the townsfolk went to bed with their stomachs grumbling, their children sad and gaunt and without the security that his did. But now…he couldn't even keep them safe. Ganondorf had returned.

He had failed them.

"Yes it is," Ronan assured him, nodding, a grim smile on his face. "Now, I'd appreciate if you didn't talk to me. I'm not sure if this is possible, but if there's a way, I'm sure you'll figure out how to ruin my life _more _thoroughly than you already have."

"Ronan…I'm sorry. I didn't mean-"

"DON'T YOU GET IT?" The Prince roared, his face twisting in absolute fury. "DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND, YOU DIMWITTED _BASTARD_? It doesn't matter what you MEANT, Link! It's what's been done! Whatever the hell you _MEANT_; it didn't mean a damn! Actions speak louder than intentions, but just your intentions bring _DEATH_! I don't know if you've realized, but we're both going to _die_ in this Goddess forsaken cell along with the rest of the world! The only question is, when, and how many others you're going to take with you before you finally accept it!"

Link had nothing left to say to his old friend, no defense for his fighting words. How could he say anything? Every last word was true.

He couldn't save Saria. He couldn't save Darunia or Ruto, Impa or Nabooru. All the poor people who worked in Castle Town, dead while he slept seven years away. He couldn't save Ronan…and now Ronan's daughter was gone because of him. Always too late. Never good enough. Ronan was right. He had brought death to everyone, and now he was getting his comeuppance. He would die in this cell beside his old rival; die beside the corpse of the girl he was too stubborn to save; die at the hand of his greatest enemy.

And what could he do about it?

Nothing. Nada. Zip.

Served him right.

He opened his mouth, prepared to get down on his knees and beg the forgiveness of Ronan, but before he could, the furious, heartbroken man in front of him crumpled. The mask of anger melted as a waterfall of tears cascaded down his face. He choked on his breath as deep, racking sobs shook his frail body.

Ronan had been broken.

**[Innocuous note to LoveandZeLink: TELL ME YOU STILL DON'T HATE RONAN. PLEASE NO. PLEASE PLEASE GOD NO.]**

**Review as always, and Seeya guys next time X)**


	15. Chapter Thirteen

**Sorry for the delay. I'm such a procrastinator it isn't even funny. I have so much going on, it's becoming really hard to get things out on time. Once June starts my schedule will be less hectic. Until then, I won't be able to get chapters out steady. **

**S;asghksaghsak;g**

**xoxo, Alyssa**

_Ten Years Before_

Bedtime was a sacred ritual, the first priority and the most pleasurable part of Link's day. He would slip into his bed, his children crawling in after him and curling close to his side, and he would tell them a story.

They would snicker as he described his adventures, using wild hand gestures and over-exaggerated accents, giving each character an individual, absurd voice.

Tonight, however, he was particularly cross with his son. He had caused hell for the chef, throwing around the great sacks of flour with Guinevere and coating the entire kitchen with the balmy white powder.

Link smiled sheepishly at his father as he climbed into bed, sitting beside the giggling Marceline and sticking a finger in his ear, pulling it out to reveal more of the stuff still lodged in his ear.

He rolled his eyes, letting Guinevere snuggle under his arm and hugging her close.

"I've been all over Hyrule, and other places, too." He began, looking over the four eager faces of his children. "But one day, towards the beginning of my adventure, I was traveling by night.

It was unusually bright that night, a full moon in the sky, but I was scared half to death. I've never been fond of the dark, see, and pushing forward was just giving me a panic attack.

I'd just settled down for the night when a howl—and a loud one, because I was pretty much out of it—startled me up. I packed my things fast, and headed towards the noise, drawing my sword out for good measure.

In the middle of Hyrule field, two Wolfos were at battle. They circled each other, neither of them able to land a hit, but neither of them even close to giving up. I sat down on the grass, pulling my shield over my head, but leaving a crack for my eyes. I watched them fight, their claws making noises in the air from how fast they swung.

I slept the night like that, curled under my shield, terrified to even move. Eventually, morning came, and I woke up, and they were gone. I continued on my journey.

Those two wolfos…they're inside us all. One is good. It is love, joy and peace, happiness and truth, honor and hope.

But the other…the other is evil. It is cruelty, hate, greed, jealously, lies, anger…and mischief." He added the last one on the end for his son's benefit, smugly enjoying the titters of his daughters at his petty comment.

They were silent for a moment, waiting for their father to continue, but he kept his mouth shut.

"But _Daddy_, which one wins?" demanded Aurelia, hoisting herself up on an elbow and staring at him with her wide blue eyes.

He leaned down to their eye level, his face solemn, his voice coming out in a stoic whisper.

"The one you feed."

**xxxx**

The timid tapping at her door startled her awake.

She screwed her eyes closed again, determined to return to unconsciousness before it slipped between her fingers, but the rapping got louder, more urgent.

"_Marceline_. Get up!"

She groaned lightly, shoving the thick comforter covering her to the side and stretching out her legs. She nimbly tread over to the door, wincing at the audible creak the rusty hinges emitted.

Standing behind the door with a conflicted expression on her face was her brother, his hair messy from sleep and his chest heaving from running. His clothes were in disarray, his shirt on backwards, his trousers only pulled halfway up, his shoes on the wrong feet. It was apparent that there had been something urgent, something terribly important that had struck him that had to be shared immediately.

But Marceline needed her sleep. Whatever it was, it could wait until morning.

"Do you have any idea how late it is?" She hissed, crossing her arms over her chest. "This had better be good."

"I was about to go to bed," Link sputtered, leaning on the doorframe for support. "And I heard Mother and York talking. Apparently Dad was supposed to be back yesterday, hours ago. Marce, something went wrong, I know it."

Marceline rolled her eyes, shifting her weight to her other foot. "Are you kidding? Anything could have happened. When he finished whatever it is he was doing, it was probably late so he decided to stay the night. Honestly, Link, you over-react way too much. Now, if you'll excuse me, it's about three in the morning, and I-"

"You think Mother's over-reacting? You think York is over-reacting, too? They seemed genuinely afraid, but I couldn't understand what. There's something out there that they don't want us to know about. We have to go help Dad!"

"Anything could have kept him. Odds are he'll be back tomorrow, or maybe the next day. I'm sure he's safe and sound in Windfall, Link, and you'll only make a fool of yourself if you go gallivanting down there only to find him chumming around with Henry's brother."

He considered this, standing up from the frame, his mouth twisting with distaste. "I'll admit you could be right."

She grinned in triumph, going to close the door. "Excellent. I have some sleep to catch up on, so if you'll excuse-"

Link grabbed the door in his hand, forcing it back open. "I wasn't finished. You could be right, but you could be wrong, too. I'll wait two days, and if he's not back or we don't get any word from him, I'm going after him, with or without you. I can feel it, Marce, there's something really wrong. We have to help him!" 

It was very like Link to have spouts of paranoia. If she didn't go with him though, he would surely go off by himself anyway, getting himself in all kinds of messes he couldn't easily fix. He needed someone smart and conservative, someone to grab him by the scruff of his neck and force him back up the cliff he tripped over.

She sighed, closing her eyes and leaving against the doorframe.

"Are you with me or not?" he demanded.

She ran her fingers through her hair, pushing it out of her face with a huff. "Well, someone has to keep you from getting yourself killed."

He punched her on the shoulder, a smile lighting his face. "I knew you'd pull through for me."

"Yeah, yeah." She said, grabbing at her door again. "Now go to bed. I'm only a little girl, Link, I need my sleep."

A chuckle escaped him as he released his hold on the door, using his newly freed hand to ruffle her hair. "G'night, sweet little sister."

She rolled her eyes, slamming the door shut. "Goodnight, levelheaded brother."

She couldn't help but snicker as she crossed the room again, but the laughter choked in her throat when her eyes fell on the empty bed beside her own.

Where was Ophelia?

**xxxx**

**I know it's short.**

**I'm so frustrated it's not even funny.**

**Urgh. Seeya guys next time. **


End file.
